Deepest Meanings
by Streetwyse
Summary: (rating may later change) Trust is a hard thing to do, especially when you're the Swat Kats. But none more so when the one you have to trust is a sworn enemy who might just be the only hope for their survival and that of Megakat City.
1. Who am I?

Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats or anything associated with it. I just own my originals.  
  
Deepest Meanings  
  
A/N: Hiya and welcome to my first attempt at writing a Swat Kats fic and the first fic that I've decided to take up since my short hiatus from writing. It's not much right now, but I seriously hope to get it going before too much longer. I hope that everyone enjoys the read and I'll see ya afterwards.  
  
Prologue: Who am I?  
  
At one time, I knew for certain what I was and my sole purpose in life. I, along with my many brothers and sisters, was meant to serve my Master. My single goal in life was to ensure that he was safe and that any plans he created were carried out to the fullest. Nothing else in the world mattered, not even my own life.  
  
It was such a simple time for me and despite what has since happened to me, one that I often find myself wishing that I could return to. Back then, it was so much easier just to follow what my instincts, follow my Master's orders and not worry about anything else but that. If only that time could have lasted. I know that I would have been a lot happier than I am now.  
  
Unfortunately, such times are not meant to last for me. Other forces that I would have been powerless to fight against even had I known about them had a different fate in store for me. What that fate is to be, I have no idea. But is that which has led me to this dark void which I now inhabit.  
  
My home, and I use that term loosely since this place is more like a prison than anything else, is a place where there is nothing but darkness and the only sensation is the constant feeling of pain that I feel coursing through my body. Where the pain comes from, I have no clue. Nor do I know why I am continually exposed to it or how I came to be in this place. I know only that I am here and that the pain comes and that I have no choice but to endure it.  
  
Yet at strange as it sounds, I would rather feel that pain than feel nothing at all. It is one of the few things that still remind me that there is a world somewhere beyond where I am. The others are the images of my many siblings and the Master that we used to serve together.  
  
Of course, the images that I remember often come in a jumble that's hard for me to comprehend. Sometimes, I see my brothers and sisters. We're either in some place sleeping or fighting for dominance or food, or with Master, fulfilling whatever commands he had given us.  
  
The images, or more rather, the memories I hold of my Master are among the clearer things that I can still remember. In my mind, he is an enormous and imposing figure who holds sway over everything that happens in the lives of my kind. To us, his will is absolute and we have no choice but to obey the orders he gives us.  
  
That was an accepted fact among my kind that no one ever bothered to question. After all, what would be the point? It would just be going against what our species' purpose in life is. The very purpose that I no longer seem so certain of and it is that that brings me to the final piece which reminds me that there is a far greater world than I know right now.  
  
And it is this that frightens me more than any amount of pain that could be inflicted upon me. Since I came to this void, my thoughts have changed from what they once were. What I once accepted without question as everyday knowledge, I now find myself questioning.  
  
I have begun to wonder why my life had taken the course that it had. Why did I have to accept my Master's orders without question and why did he even have us as his servants to begin with? Why was he so determined to conquer others and to gain more power? What was the reasoning behind it all?  
  
All questions that I never asked before and ones that now scare me beyond belief. Like so many things, I don't have an answer for any of these. All that I can understand is that somehow, being in this place has changed me. If it is for better or worse, I have no idea. I know only that it is making me more aware of things that I never before considered and that this may lead me to something I am even less prepared for than this. Including a question that I have never before asked in my life: Just who am I?  
  
A/N: Very short and confusing I know, but that's just to keep people guessing until I can get the other chapters going. Hopefully that will be soon, but I can't really promise anything. In the meantime, I'm willing to take any suggestions others might have for this story. And if anyone wants to, they can take a guess as to who is speaking and just what's happening to them. Good luck either way and thanks for reading. ^.~ 


	2. Consequences Begin

Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats, just my humble originals.  
  
A/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I'm really glad that you liked it and I appreciated the encouragement. As to the guesses as to what the speaker is, the 3 of you got it right. The speaker is a creepling who, naturally, isn't a normal one.  
  
Chapter 1: Consequences begin  
  
As I watched the scene outside my cage, I began to realize what a twisted sense of humor that I can have at times. I'm not really a cruel person by nature, even when one considers the kind of species I come from. Which is one quality that definitely sets me apart. Since most of my kind cause misery for others whenever they can.  
  
I'm not as into that as the others. I guess that's because I'm what one considers a milder mannered member of the creepling species. A truly rare thing after considering how rowdy and cruel creeplings can be.  
  
But there are still certain people that whose lives I still like to make miserable whenever possible. Especially those that enjoy making my own days an endless stream of frustrations and never consider that I might actually try to get revenge on them for it.  
  
Which was what happened now as I continued to watch the kat that I have fondly come to call Fishbreath again being chewed out by my Master. It was a scene that brought no pity from me and never will. Fishbreath had brought this whole thing upon himself and he can just get used to it as far as I'm concerned. For once again Fishbreath had brought Master's wrath down on his head by doing something stupid. Namely by hurting me, the only thing that kept this project going and Master from skinning Fishbreath and his cohorts alive.  
  
I winced a little as I remembered just what old Fishbreath had done to me today. This time, it had been another major shock treatment. It had ended with up getting a torn wing membrane and a limp in my right foot that was probably going to last a couple of days. It wasn't the worst that I had suffered since coming under Fishbreath's care, but it wasn't the easiest that I had endured either.  
  
Either way, it was still enough to get Master mad at Fishbreath. When he had placed my 'education' in Fishbreath's hands, his orders had been very specific. If it was necessary to teach me something or to make me obey orders, then a little pain was all right. But it was crossing the line when I came to physical harm and marks were left behind.  
  
Master often said that he had invested too much into this project to allow it to be brought to a halt because I was hurt from Fishbreath's excessive use of force. Exactly what the 'project' is, I'm not entirely certain. No one's ever bothered to explain the details to me. All I know about it is that I'm a very important part and that I'm needed for its continuation.  
  
And being so important means I have to stay in relatively one piece. Hence why my Master was so upset right now. He didn't want whatever he had been working at for so long to be in vain because of the bungling of some science geek.  
  
At the present though, the science geek known as Fishbreath is able to do much bungling. I mean, it's kinda hard to do anything when you're choking from lack of air. The cause of which was none other than Master.  
  
He had his paw wrapped around Dr. Felinous', old Fishbreath's given name, neck and was slowly squeezing so that the air supply was cut off to the smaller kat. It was this that kept the good Fishbreath from answering right away. But it didn't really seem to matter to Master. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing even when he wanted answers.  
  
As far as I was concerned, Master could take all the time he wanted in getting Fishbreath to answer him. I was in no hurry for this to end. It was fun watching the good doctor squirm for a change. Usually, that role fell to me whenever I was forced to endure one of Fishbreath's 'tests'.  
  
If one can call such nonsense tests. Personally, I think it's just a way for Fishbreath to make me suffer and humiliate me at the same time. In each one, he was tested me on a variety of things like reflexes, problem solving skills, following orders, and so on.  
  
For the most part, I can do any one of these things in my sleep. My reflexes were sharp to begin with and what I've been put through has only made them better. I can breeze through any course that old Fishbreath can put me through. Problem solving is just about the same.  
  
Give me just about any puzzle a kat can think of and with a little time, I can solve it with no trouble. Of course, I do that sort of thing whether or not Fishbreath is testing me. Like the times when the lab is empty and I break out of my cage. When I do that, I decode the lock and then leave so that I can explore the compound beyond the lab. One of my favorite pastimes and one that isn't very hard to do in the first place.  
  
The lock used to seal my cage is a simple electronic one that could be opened by a numerical code. The lock itself is on the other side of the door with the numbers out of my sight. For most people, this might present a problem. After all, how can one use a number code if they can't even see the numbers?  
  
The answer to that is simple. The trick is to remember that the numbers are arranged in rows of threes. Starting with a one located on what is the upper left corner to whoever is opening the lock, it goes down to a nine that is located on the lower right corner of the lock. By keeping this in mind, I watch where the scientist opening my cage places their fingers and try to picture just what number is in that area.  
  
After being sure that I have the code memorized, I wait until the lab is completely empty and then I attempt to open the lock on my own. My first few tries met with failure, naturally, but I eventually got the hang of it. Once I had, I was out of my cage in no time and off exploring whatever doors I could open.  
  
Needless to say, I'm always caught by someone and returned to my cage in the end. But that doesn't matter. I know that sooner or later, no matter how much they change the code, I'll be out again and gaining just a small measure of freedom that has come to mean a great deal to me.  
  
That sort of attitude doesn't really play very well into the category of following orders. One order is that I'm supposed to stay in my cage unless I was being taken out for testing or for a medical examination. Of course, those orders only come from Fishbreath and as far as I'm concerned, no matter what he does to me, not everything he says matters.  
  
Now if the instructions come from Master or someone else is directing me, like Furston or Bristles, I'll follow those without fail. These come from people I either respect or don't have a bone against. So I can follow orders without any problem either, which means that I can handle those stupid tests without any trouble. But that doesn't mean I have to like them.  
  
Because these aren't the only things that I have to deal with when Fishbreath and the others put me through the rounds. There are other things that I have to deal with besides what I need to do. For instance, during all the testing, wireless electronic tags are placed on certain parts of my body. These are about the size of quarters and are used to help keep control over me. By control, I mean by using electrical shocks to make me obey whatever instructions were being yelled at me via the intercom system.  
  
Since I normally obey when I'm put into training, there really isn't much need for the shocks. Their use should be irregular if at all since I try to follow those things to the letter. Fishbreath however, doesn't see things as I do.  
  
He thinks that the shocks should be used every time I go through his tests. To him, if my reaction time is too slow or I'm not acting up to my full potential, then it means I have to be shocked. The more times this happens, the more intense and prolonged my shocks become and the more pain that I feel.  
  
That had more or less been the case this time around. I had been plugged into the VR system used to test my reflexes in battle. The VR or virtual reality system is a holographic chamber created as a way of going into battle without actually having to find enemies. Sort of like a training camp, only electronically done in one room and a pair of goggles that show me what I need to see.  
  
The targets inside the system are usually kats dressed in uniforms that I used to identify them as Enforcers and these I was to take down with all speed. Most of the targets I took down without any trouble. All I did was pick out where they were located and then attack. Attacking was done either by use of a weapon I was supplied with, like a small tazer, or directly. I prefer to do it directly, since that means I don't have to rely on a technology that could break when I'm right in the middle of something.  
  
Today, that might have proven to be a bad idea. Having that annoying little toy gun's radarscope might have helped me to pick out the one target that missed during the session. The holographic Enforcer had been hidden behind a parked bus that I hadn't been paying attention to.  
  
Up to that point, I had been certain that I had gotten all the targets and that I would soon be released from the VR training. The release never came. Instead, I felt a shock tearing through my wings and feet as Fishbreath started shouting at me that I had missed one. Because I had been careless and not checked my work to be sure I had completed everything, I had to be punished. The punishment, like always, were those stupid electric shocks that soon had me screeching at the top of my lungs as I tried to rip off the source.  
  
How long I acted like that, I'm not sure. My shrieks of pain had fallen on deaf ears until one of the other scientists decided that enough was enough. Even though she knew that it would get her in trouble with Fishbreath, she had made a grab for the remote in his paw and tried to get it away from him. Naturally, he had retaliated and tried to keep his peer away from his prize.  
  
How long they kept the confrontation up, I'll never know. I was still too caught up in my own pain to notice anything else. All I know is that it only stopped when Master entered the lab and saw what was going on for himself. After that, everything became a blur until I was returned to the relative safety of my cage.  
  
I know that the pain stopped and that someone had pulled me out of the VR chamber for medical treatment. From the way the bandaging wrapped, my guess that someone had been a scientist named Randolph Bristles. He's the only kat I know that ties off his bandages with an 'X' formation over the top and the only one I know that's brave enough to handle a creepling when they're thrashing about in pain.  
  
It took me a little while to clear my mind enough where I could make sense of the world again. By the time I had, as mentioned before, I was back in my cage with a bandage wrapped around my foot and patch tape to my wing. And it was about that time I managed to get a front row seat to seeing my former tormentor now feeling pain like I had just been through.  
  
"Now tell me again, Dr. Felinous. Why have you disobeyed my orders and harmed my creepling?" Master rumbled.  
  
"#3 w-wasn't responding t-to the trea-atment that-t we were us-sing," Felinous choked," Increasing the volta-age was the only way we could make it obe-ey the com-mmands."  
  
Master listened to words that only made him tighten his grip on Fishbreath's throat. He probably knew that that was a lie. But even if it had been true, he really didn't seem to care why Fishbreath had done what he had. All that mattered to him was that his orders had been disobeyed and that the one he was slowly suffocating hadn't seemed to care about that little fact.  
  
"Remember this, Dr. Felinous, because I am not going to repeat myself," Master growled," My patience with your disregard for my orders is steadily growing thin. I have tolerated it until now because of the necessity of training my creepling. But I warn you, my patience with you will only continue so far. If you disobey me again, then you will just how unpleasant my disappointment can be. Do I make myself clear, Dr. Felinous?"  
  
The only answer he received was a deep choking sound from Fishbreath. He was still struggling to get free of Master's grasp, but not as much as before. Now, his struggles could be seen as little more than a slight squirming that was just enough to keep him breath and barely conscious.  
  
Master's eyes closed to mere slits as he watched his prey a moment longer. What he was thinking could be anyone's guess. But it was obvious that he was starting to grow tired of all this. He eventually released his grip and allowed the smaller kat to drop to the floor. He landed in a heap at Master's feet, where he lay gasping and choking for air. He stayed there for several seconds, with Master staring down at him in complete disgust.  
  
When he had his fill of the sight, Master turned away and ordered," Get him out of my sight and give him what he deserves."  
  
Excited chattering filled the room after that as a dozen or so of my kin bounded into sight. I felt a pang of unwanted regret as I watched them surround Fishbreath and take hold of his arms and legs. It was the first time that I had seen any of my own kind in several days and right now, I wanted nothing more than to be among them.  
  
Watching as they started to drag Fishbreath out of the lab, I knew that that wasn't possible. For one, I knew that no one would let me out of my cage this soon after being injured. I would have to recover before that was allowed to happen.  
  
Plus, I knew that none of the other creeplings would want me around anyway. Since I was brought to the lab and changed into what I am now, they have all decided to shun me. Why, I really don't know. I just know that to them, I was an outsider that was meant to be ignored or punished as Master dictated.  
  
Knowing that hurts me more than I like to admit but I try to deal with it because I know I can't change it. If the others want to ignore me, then that's their choice. Something I know that Fishbreath might be wishing was happening to him as the creeplings continued to drag him out of the lab.  
  
Fishbreath never really reacted until he was nearly pulled out the door. And by then, it was really too late for him to do anything. He tried to get away from the other creeplings as best he could. But they refused to let go and continued to drag him out to whatever fate awaited him beyond the lab doors.  
  
I watched the whole thing with a mixture of relief, amusement and stoicism. For me, Fishbreath's removal meant that my life would go a little easier for awhile. With him gone, it meant that his assistant, Dr. Emily Furston, would be in charge of the lab and its contents. To me, that was really a boon, since Furston was the only kat out of all the scientists that I actually like.  
  
Furston was nothing like old Fishbreath. She was actually very nice, for a kat, and took the time to consider an outcome or reaction before she did anything. And that included how to treat me during testing. She knew how important I was to Master's project and that he expected me to be kept alive and well. So she never did anything that would cause me great harm or that might ruin the project.  
  
I think it was an attitude like that that's kept Furston alive this long. She knows what limits to surrender to and how best to treat those that she has to work with. Not like certain jerks that think that they have the right to walk all over everyone else just to make themselves feel good.  
  
The same certain jerk that would eventually return to the lab like he always did after one of Master's punishments. But that wasn't going to be for several days at least, since whatever Master did was most definitely going to leave Fishbreath hurting for that long. Lucky for him, that was as far as it would ever go.  
  
As Fishbreath acted with me, extreme pain was the best tool that Master had in teaching his underlings the consequences of disobedience. No matter how one of his science lackeys acted, Master wouldn't outright kill them. Not while he needed them anyway. It was hard to find kats of such expertise like the ones he had already gathered and he wasn't about to waste resources that couldn't be spared. For the time being anyhow.  
  
"I trust that there will be no further problems this evening. I do not wish to be interrupted by something like this again," Master eventually said once the sounds of creepling chatter and kat protests had died down.  
  
The remaining scientists nodded mutely to Master's words. They knew better than to do anything else. If they provoked Dark Kat's already rising agitation, then they that they would be joining Fishbreath in whatever the other creeplings did to him. That was why no one had protested during the interrogation, because they knew what would happen.  
  
"I will leave you to your work then," Master said as he turned to leave.  
  
Before he left, Master stopped by my cage and peered inside. He did that almost every time he can into the lab. I suppose it was so he could see just what he was putting so much effort into and to see if I was worth it.  
  
Naturally, I always felt a sense of pride and confusion whenever Master did that. Pride because it meant that I was actually worth something to him and confusion because I had to no idea why I should mean so much. I mean, before all this started, he had never paid attention to me. I was just another face in the crowd, only good for something when it was time to do whatever task he had planned. Then I was just supposed to do my job and hope that it had been done right. I knew that if I didn't, I might get punished with an absent lash of Master's cane or by the others if they decided to gang up on me.  
  
Now though, he never does anything that might hurt me. Sure he might yell at me if I do something to displease him. He does that to everyone, be they creepling or scientist. But he never tries to hit me anymore or make me feel pain unless it's in the lab and to teach me something.  
  
Now I suppose that sort of attitude can be seen in one of two ways. Either he just wants to protect the major investment of resources and time he seems to have placed in me or maybe, just maybe, Master might actually have a soft spot for me since I'm different from the others. Personally though, I think it's most likely the former option as there's nothing about my Master that I know which might support the second.  
  
After all, never in my life have I heard of someone accusing my Master of having a soft side of any kind. Enemies and allies alike know that he not the nicest person to deal with even in his best moods. If anyone crosses him, no matter how slightly, it's certain that their fate will be most unpleasant.  
  
Now though, there was no trace of vengeance on Master's face. There was still some anger from when he had dealt with Fishbreath, but that was to be expected. It takes time for someone to take on a different emotion once anger had set it, even Master. So I really didn't give as much thought to that as to what I was sensing coming from within Master.  
  
Sensing emotions is a given for us creeplings. It's how we survive in the kind of life that we lead in Master's service. In our lives, danger is a constant that can't be ignored. We have to be prepared for whatever might come our way, even death.  
  
What I sensed now though was not a threat. It was actually a bit calming when I considered it, but at the same time, it wasn't very friendly either. I just knew that it was an alien feeling that Master never really shows around anyone, even the creeplings.  
  
Slowly, he lifted one paw from his side and presented it to me as he opened it to reveal him palm. Curious, I leaned towards the bars of my cage to see just what he was showing me. He held something in his palm that I identified as food from the scent. To be exact, it was a small biscuit that smelled of raw tuna and a mixture of milk and fish oils. It was just the type of thing to get any creepling drooling with just a single whiff. For us, it's a rare treat that makes a welcome change from our usual diet of raw various meats and other tidbits that Master feeds us.  
  
I was really no exception to this as I felt my stomach growling already despite the fact that I had already eaten earlier. I knew that with Master being as close as he was, he was able to hear. Inwardly, that was a little embarrassing for me.  
  
Around Master, I tried to show that I had at least some measure of control over myself. For the most part, I manage to pull off this image. I keep a tight hold on my temper and try to follow the directions given to me with a minimal amount of fuss.  
  
Every so often though, I do slip up. Like now, as my stomach started growling and rumbling at the smell of that biscuit. There was no way of telling what that kind of information that was sending to Master.  
  
"You want this then, don't you?" Master asked.  
  
I nodded slowly in answer. This brought a low chuckle from Master as he extended his paw and the biscuit it held closer. That was a clear enough signal to me that he intended for me to have the biscuit, whether I truly was hungry or not.  
  
Knowing better than to refuse, I reached through the cage bars for the biscuit. I took it gingerly with both my paws, sniffing it curiously as I tried to decide whether to eat it now or save it for later. I knew that for my Master, that was indeed a curious sight. Usually, we creeplings gobbled down any food we were given. We never really gave any thought as to whether it was meant to be eaten right away or not.  
  
Since being brought here however, my mannerism towards food and many other things in life has changed. Where I might have once wolfed down everything edible in a heartbeat, now I'm more careful. I take the time to examine my food, to see if it might be spoiled or have sleeping pills hidden inside, and decide just what I would do with it.  
  
Now was no exception, as I looked the biscuit over. I was starting to get hungry thanks to that enticing smell, but I didn't eat it right away. Instead, I nibbled a little, just to see how fresh it was. To my delight, it tasted like it had only been made within the last few days. For me, this was indeed a rare treat. The food that I usually received from Master or the scientists either tasted stale or bland. It never had this type of freshness to it.  
  
Knowing for certain that I would save this for later, I looked back up at Master. He was still watching me like before. His expression still seemed a little surprise from how I was acting, but otherwise, it was the same as always. And that was something caught between looking thoughtful and scheming.  
  
For me, it was a sign that he had decided to regain his composure after that scene with Dr. Fishbreath. He probably felt that he had wasted enough effort on his underling and that it was just time to focus on other things. Which gave me a chance to regain what I felt was lost face with Master.  
  
Just to show that I was grateful for the generosity he had shown me, I flicked my ears twice and croaked something to my Master in creepling. It was a harsh sound that another might have mistaken for a threat or the gasping breaths of a dying creature. But being as familiar as he was with the creepling language, Master knew what I was trying to say.  
  
He nodded once, so I knew that he was satisfied with my thanks. He withdrew his paw after that and he simply watched me. I made no objection to him doing that, since I had another task to handle before I did anything else. Which was putting my treat away until I decided the best time to eat it.  
  
Turning my attention away from Master, I looked at the one place I felt safe stowing anything. It was one specific corner of my cage that I had set up as my personal space. That one spot contained my food and water dishes and an old blanket that I used to sleep on at night.  
  
Careful of my sore foot, I made my way over to this part of the cage. The food dish was empty, since no one had bothered to refill it from this morning and the water dish was only about half full. I ignored both as I lifted part of my blanket and stuffed the biscuit underneath. I knew it would be safe there until later.  
  
Once I had done that, I turned back around to find that Master was still there. The surprise that had once been there had already faded away and only what was normal remained. Just another sign that he was just getting on with however he spent his day I suppose.  
  
"I'm expecting great things from you, my little creepling," Master said quietly," Do not disappoint me."  
  
With that he left, leaving me feeling both shaken and confused while a slight sense of pride come over me. Shaken because I wasn't used to him watching me so intently and confused because I had no idea what he was talking about when he spoke like that. Pride came from the fact that I was actually getting attention from Master and that he had an interest in what happened to me.  
  
I already knew that this was something that was going to occupy my thoughts for some time to come. Not a bad thing in a way, I guess. I mean, when I'm not being tested in the lab or walking around the compound during an escape, I'm usually left alone in my cage. The only to do then is think. Now I know that's something I'm going to be doing for awhile.  
  
A/N: That's the end of this chapter. I know that it really didn't cover the background on what happened to #3, but I promise I'll be getting to that in the next chapter. I just wanted to get a few things down before I revealed anything major.  
Also, I'm going to need a beta reader for this story. None of the ones that I have right now know too much about Swat Kats and it would help me if I had one who did. So if there's anyone who wants to try, please let me know and we'll see how it works. Until then, thanks to everyone for reading and I'll try to have another chapter out soon. 


	3. My Nightmare

Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats, just my humble originals.  
  
Chapter 2: My Nightmare  
  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. Nice to know that this story isn't as dumb as I thought it might be. And I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. I was working on some of my other stories and got caught up in schoolwork at the same time. Believe me, very boring and not helpful to the creative process.  
  
Things eventually settled down after Master left. The remaining scientists, two males and two females, all of varying sizes and fur colors, soon settled back into their own tasks of sorting through data and any anomalies that came with it. Either way, it was something that would take them several hours to complete. So they were going to keep to their jobs in order to get in done so they could get out of here and off to another part of the compound.  
  
While they did those jobs, I spent my own time just watching them work. It was something that I did almost every afternoon once the testing was done. It helped to give me a better idea of just what each kat was like and how they interacted with one another on a personal basis.  
  
It is kind of strange in a way. Since I was the specimen, I was supposed to be the one that everyone observed so they could learn about me. It's not supposed to be the other way around, with me watching the scientists to see what they would do.  
  
Despite any peculiarity that came from this, I still continued my daily observation of the scientists. They of course, were too caught up in their work to even notice me, which suited me just fine. If they didn't have any clue to what I was doing, that meant that I was free to do things in peace.  
  
So I kept my watch up, starting first with the one nearest to me and then allowing my attention to wander from there. Nearest to me turned out to be the pessimist of the group, Dr. Tabitha Cox. As usual, she was muttering about something that had happened during testing. Knowing her, she was probably thinking of what had gone wrong and how it could have been worse.  
  
I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. For as long as I've known her, the only Cox can think is with sarcasm and that nothing in the world can go right and that everything can go wrong. Why she thinks like that, I have no idea. I just know that it's something that's obviously kept her alive all this time and what makes her one of the more feared members of the scientists.  
  
Which is really quite strange when one considers what a runt Cox is when compared to other kats. Standing at just under five feet in height, Tabitha Cox could easily be considered either harmless or an easy target for larger kats. Her creamy, well-trimmed white fur and deep blue eyes only add to this illusion and has more than once attracted the unwanted attention of the male population.  
  
It isn't until too late that many learn of the deception of those big blue eyes and that short height. They learn that hidden behind all that there is a vicious wildcat who uses her sarcasm and pessimism to cut down anyone who dares to cross her path. More than one of the other scientists or even the other creeplings has come against her and lost before they even knew a battle was being fought.  
  
At the same time though, it was these qualities that helped Cox to do her job with the best of them. She was in charge of forecasting possible problems in testing and finding solutions to the snags before they were even a problem. As of yet, except for when Fishbreath loses his temper or one of the other creeplings decides to make trouble, there has yet to be any serious setbacks in the lab, all thanks to Tabitha Cox.  
  
Though he was nowhere as pessimistic, Dr. Cecil Springfoot also had his uses. Those uses were usually centered in the technical areas, since the only times I really ever saw Springfoot was when he was at a console. Well, I would see the brown tips of his ears from behind the computer screen where he was working.  
  
That suited me well enough. If he was doing his job, then I wouldn't have to put up with the brown furred feline that wore glasses that were thicker than coke bottles. He has absolutely no sense of humor and thinks that everything has to be as neat and orderly as his computers.  
  
The humor around the lab can only fall to one feline. That is Randolph Bristles, a tall kat with beige fur edge in black stripes on his arms, tail and face. His eyes are a dark brown, almost black, that shines with that all too familiar and very welcome humor and understanding.  
  
That sort of thing comes in handy whenever Bristles has to do his job, which is to handle all the medical problems that might arise. When he's taking a blood sample from me or bandaging a wound, he tends to make jokes. The jokes are usually about something that's happened in the lab or just a general subject. But I never find them very funny, since the punch lines make absolutely to me.  
  
The others on the other hand, now they always found Bristles jokes to be hilarious. Even Cox and Springfoot, who seemed to have been born without a funny bone in their bodies liked them. They both claimed that Bristles' jokes helped to make the day pass a little faster. But there was no one who believed such a thing more than Furston, who I think had a liking for the male kat anyhow.  
  
Emily Furston was probably what a male kat would consider very attractive and probably could have gotten Bristles' attention if she had chosen to. Her scarlet fur was luxuriant and shiny to a fault, as was her darker head fur. These were matched off by her deep, emerald green eyes that could almost melt the heart of the male population of the kat species. I know that was certainly how it worked whenever Master's hired ninjas dared to come to the lab and spare her a glance.  
  
Despite her looks, Furston was also a very intelligent she-kat. She had to be, considering the position she held. As Fishbreath's assistant, she had to know how to work with genetic codings, chemical balances, computers, and so on. She kept an on eye on everything, making sure it went smoothly, and still managed to take care of her own work.  
  
Work that basically came and went as the hours dragged on. Eventually, the scientists finished their tasks and logged in the remaining data. Once that was done, there was just one thing left to do before everyone called it a day. And it was the one thing that everyone, myself included, wasn't really looking forward to. It was the one activity that always brought a headache to anyone involved. Mostly because I didn't ever feel like cooperating and would act stubborn for whoever worked with me.  
  
It was really a simple procedure from an outside point of view. I didn't have to be moved from my cage, so there was no reason to worry about making my injuries worse. All someone would have to do would sit in a chair next to my cage and hold up the cards for me to see. I would repeat whatever I saw on the card and then that was it. Too bad that wasn't how things ever went, which was why no one but one kat would ever bother to do it.  
  
"So who wants to take the verbal sessions with #3?" Bristles asked.  
  
The question was really just a formality. Everyone already knew who would take the job. She had done so almost every night ever since these sessions had started and she seemed to be in no mood to stop.  
  
"I'll do it, Randy," Furston volunteered on cue.  
  
Bristles nodded and turned to get ready to leave, with Cox following in suit. They didn't get very far however. There was one little factor that none of them had been counting on. That something was none other than Cecil Springfoot.  
  
During times like this, he was quiet and kept his opinions to himself. So no one really paid him much attention nor did they expect him to say anything. But tonight, for someone reason, he decided to speak up and it caught everyone off guard.  
  
"Why don't I do it this time, Emily?" Springfoot offered," You do the verbal sessions with #3 almost every night. Maybe you should take a break for once."  
  
"It's fine, Brent. I'll take care of it," Furston insisted.  
  
"But Emily," Springfoot started.  
  
"You should probably just let her do it, Brent. You know that she's the only one who can get anything decent out of #3 when it comes to talking," Bristles warned.  
  
"Besides, the last time you tried to get #3 to talk, you nearly got part of your ear sliced off," Cox added.  
  
Springfoot just glared at Cox for that one. He remembered that incident too and didn't like to be reminded of it. I guess one can't blame him for that. No one likes to be reminded of the times when they made complete fools of themselves after being constantly warned by others to be careful.  
  
Of course, I don't like to be reminded of that incident too much myself. It was one of those times when I totally lost control of myself and let my temper get the better of me. For in my anger, I had almost seriously hurt someone. That is not something that I'm proud of.  
  
But at the same time, I think if I had a chance to do everything from that day over, I would do things just the same. Springfoot had earned what pain he did and what might have come. When he had been giving me the lesson, he had been acting as if I were indeed a stupid animal and could not understand what he wanted of me.  
  
I usually tolerated that kind of attitude from Springfoot because I didn't have to deal with him very often. Normally, he was working at a console while someone else was working on a personal basis with me. The times that he did have to work with me, it was usually just to hook me up to something or to return me to my cage.  
  
The one time he tried working with me otherwise, well, things just went badly. In order to get me to do what he wanted, Springfoot tried to bully me. He called me names, shocked me more than once with tags that shouldn't have even been in place, and he even tried to steal my food bowl from me. The first two I could tolerate since they were things that I dealt with on a daily basis. But when he tried to take my food bowl, that was crossing the line.  
  
Though I had more control of myself and didn't make such a big deal about my food, there was an unspoken rule in the lab. Unless I gave my permission, the inside of my cage was off limits. That area was considered my personal space and anything within its confines were to be left alone.  
  
Springfoot had broken that rule when he tried to take my bowl. So I reacted in the only way that seemed fit to me. I had tried clawing at him and had managed to snag the tip of his ear. Immediately, Springfoot dropped my bowl and tried to stop his then bleeding ear.  
  
He was having much luck on his own, since he couldn't see the wound for himself or how bad it was. And there was no one else in the lab to ask since no one ever stuck around once the verbal sessions started. So the only choice left open to Springfoot was to leave the lab and go seek help. Where and when he found it, I really don't know nor do I care. Springfoot had simply gotten what he deserved as far as I was concerned and that was that.  
  
Besides, the injury was not as serious as it could have been. The wound had healed over, leaving only a small scar as evidence to what I had done. Its effects still remained nonetheless. After that day, Springfoot learned a new respect and side of me. He realized that simply because I was a creepling and that I was in a cage, it did not give him the right to bully me.  
  
After that, Springfoot had less to do with me than before. He would keep away from my cage when he passed by, never giving me more than a sidelong glance. I just ended up ignoring him like I had before. That was how things had gone until now, as I watched Springfoot arguing with the others.  
  
I really had no idea why he was being so insistent about giving me my lesson this evening. He certainly wasn't doing it to be nice. That much I could sense from where I was. He might have been doing it to see he could take another crack at me for almost shaving off his ear. I didn't know, but I knew that I didn't want him near me. I had enough of a headache from earlier.  
  
It was the insistence of the others that finally convinced Springfoot to just let Furston handle things as she usually did. He knew that with Bristles and Cox backing her up, he had no chance of convincing the she-kat to do otherwise. She would hold to her decision and leave it at that.  
  
So Springfoot just spared Furston and myself an annoyed glare as he was leaving with Bristles. He was obviously miffed that things had not gone his way, so he would probably drown his frustration in his upcoming meal. He would find that in the mess hall, where I knew that the scientists always went after they left the lab.  
  
"We'll save a plate for you, Emily," Cox promised.  
  
"Thanks Tabitha," Furston replied.  
  
The other she-kat nodded and then followed after the others. Quiet spread over the lab now that they were gone. It was a little strange in its own way, since there were usually so many kats working in the lab during the day. But I was used to it, so I didn't pay it much attention.  
  
Instead, I just watched Furston as she prepared the tape recorder, data forms and lesson cards for the upcoming sessions. She used all of these each time we went into a verbal session. The tape recorder was to document whatever was said between us for future research, while the data forms were to write down Furston's personal opinions on my behavior. And of course, the lesson cards were the latest words and syntaxes that I was supposed to be learning.  
  
Just the thought of such a thing made my stomach ache as Furston finished gathering her things and headed my way. I've always hated the lessons more than anything else when it came to my training. For me, it's a combination of boredom, uselessness, and stupidity all rolled into one.  
  
"So do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?" Furston asked me as she set her things on a counter near my cage.  
  
I just yawned in answer as I stretched out my wings and settled against a wall. That was an obvious enough answer to Furston. She knew that I was saying: 'Do you even have to ask?' It was something that we went through almost every time this started and a question that I would have thought Furston would know the answer to by now.  
  
"I really wish you wouldn't do this all the time, #3," Furston said, glaring at me in irritation.  
  
I just yawned again. Furston hissed slightly in irritation as she prepared herself for the challenge that she knew was going to come. But for Furston, this was nothing new. She knew that even if I was more cooperative with her than others, it wasn't that easy to get me talk. I'm not one for conversation and prefer to keep my own counsel to that of others. The only times I will talk without goading from others is when I have an observation of my own or Master wants me to say something to him. Other than that, I keep my beak shut.  
  
There's just one little snag with that attitude however. Furston knows me just as well as I know myself. Because of that, she knows how to get me to do what whenever she wants to.  
  
"If you're going to be stubborn, then so will I," Furston said.  
  
That set alarms off in my head instantly. Whenever Furston took that tone, I knew that there was going to be trouble. Not the kind of trouble that came whenever Fishbreath got mad at me. But a kind that usually meant I had to sacrifice some of my already dwindling dignity.  
  
"I hate to pull this on you, but you're not leaving me any choice," Furston replied, her words already confirming what I knew was to come.  
  
I knew what was coming after she said that. She was going to tell me that if I didn't cooperate, then I wasn't going to be fed my evening meal. It was a rule that had first been started just after I came to the lab for testing. The assumption was that since my kind had such a regard for food, that it would be a means to control me.  
  
Maybe if I had been less intelligent, maybe closer to what I had been before all this started, it might have worked better. But once I became smarter, it didn't really work that way. I knew then that I didn't need to eat everyday to survive. I could live for a time without anything to sustain me. If I went too long without food though, I knew that I would eventually weaken and die. Since that was not the future that I wanted, I decided that it was better to do as I was told for the time being. So I cooperated with the scientists and did what they told me.  
  
Sometimes though, like now, I would get into a mood where I didn't want to do anything. That was when Furston would pull the rule out on me again and I would have to do what she told me. It's times like that I almost want to give Furston a piece of my mind about using blackmail, but then, that would be playing right into her paws. So I don't bother with that and instead just follow directions.  
  
"Fine," I sighed," What do you want me to say this time?"  
  
My voice came out as somewhat gravelly and I always assumed that it was harsh on the ears of others. The tones I used were enough so that others could tell that I was female just by hearing me speak. At least that was what I assumed, but I wasn't totally sure.  
  
Furston and the others certainly referred to me as a female. But I think they figured that out from all the blood samples they had taken towards the beginning. So that made it unclear to me if the tones of my voice sounded female to them or if it just sounded neutral.  
  
Whatever I sound like, it has a great effect on how my words come out. Roughly half of them come out sounding like true kat speech. These are the smaller words that don't require a lot of finesse on my part. But the other half is the real problem. Those are words that have more than four syllables and require someone to twist their tongues into all sorts of knots to be able to pronounce anything. When I use those words, my voice either makes them sound too gravelly to be understood or too low pitched to be heard.  
  
This may not sound too bad, since there are kats all over the world that have trouble speaking. But one has to consider that I actually have quite an extensive vocabulary for one who only gained the ability of speech less than three months before. I know how to speak more than a thousand words and I can understand nearly everything that others say to me. Of course this last part was a major given, so maybe it really didn't count much.  
  
All creeplings have the ability to understand the language of kats from almost the day we are born. It's implanted into our brains so that we will be better able to obey our Master's commands with minimal effort. This makes it more possible for things to be carried out more efficiently and quickly.  
  
Right now though, things were going to go anyway but quick. Just because Furston had found a way to get me to speak didn't mean that I was going to say much. I still wasn't in the mood to say much of anything.  
  
"You know what we have to go over, #3. We do this every time we have these sessions," Furston said.  
  
"Ah yes. The same boring prattle," I snorted.  
  
"Boring? Now that isn't fair, you know. I know that you don't like doing this, but you know that you have to," Furston said.  
  
"I'm not in the mood to be fair, Furston," I snapped irritably.  
  
Furston glared at me slightly, but not enough that I would have to worry that she might return the favor. She knew that my anger wasn't directed at her. It never was, since Furston was the only kat who never intentionally tried to hurt me. The one that I was really angry with was Fishbreath and myself.  
  
I was mad that I had been stupid enough to give him an excuse to shock me again and that he had taken the chance. I was mad that my wing and foot both hurt whenever I moved them. I was just mad in general and just didn't feel like putting up with anyone else, even Furston.  
  
"Whether you want to be fair or not, you know you have to do this, #3," Furston warned sternly," You know it's the only way you'll keep Dark Kat from getting upset with you."  
  
I flinched slightly when she used that threat. It was the only one besides telling me that I couldn't have my dinner that ever got me to do what she wanted and with good reason. Though I had never received the brunt of it like some, I knew how far Master's fury could go when he was displeased with someone. Not a fate that I want to tempt, which Furston knew and what made it such a perfect tactic to get me to cooperate.  
  
"Fine," I surrendered," Let's start the vocabulary lessons."  
  
Furston gave me a triumphant smile that I was sorely tempted to wipe off her face. It always got on my nerves whenever she managed to pull one over on me. To me, that meant that I was slipping in some way and I hate when that happens. I like to stay ahead of the others, just so that I can give them a surprise when they're not expecting it. I hadn't been able to do that and now I was stuck with the consequences. Oh lucky me.  
  
A/N: There we go. Part 3's all done. I know that things are going very slowly for this story right now, but I promise that things are going to pick up soon. I just want to give the details of #3's life before I get to anything major. That will be happening in the next few chapters, I promise. Until then, later and thanks for reading. 


	4. Boredom Central

Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats, just my own originals.  
  
Chapter 3: Boredom Central  
  
A/N: Okay, here's where things start to pick up just a little. It might not be fast enough for some of you, but remember, I have a method to my 'madness'. The reason why I'm going so slow with this fic will be revealed very soon. Promise, and enjoy the read ahead.  
  
We went through the usual process after that. We would review many of the old words that I had previously learned to be sure that they were still in my mind and then we would move onto something new. It was a little tougher then, because I would have to struggle with anything new that Furston gave me.  
  
My mouth and throat had to adjust to any new sounds that came with words. That always hurt, since most were sounds needed to be repeated over and over again until I was able to pronounce them correctly. And by then, I had usually made my throat so raw that it felt like it was on fire.  
  
After all, even if I could speak, that didn't mean it was easy for me to accomplish. The creepling mouth and vocal chords just weren't built to speak the kat language. These are made for speaking in croaks and chattering that sound like mindless chattering to a kat's ears. And it was what I would rather be speaking in rather than having my throat getting constantly sore.  
  
But what I thought didn't matter when it came to things like this. My job wasn't to object to anything. It was to learn the material and then hope that I was getting it right. If I was, it was supposed to lead to easier things later on. Though from what I'm going through now, I'm not too certain on that point.  
  
Eventually, after more than an hour of this nonsense, Furston seemed satisfied with what we had done and decided to call it a day. That was perfectly fine with me, since yet again my throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. And feeling like that meant that all I wanted to do was to drink about a gallon of water and then call it a night.  
  
A gallon of water wasn't what I got, but what Furston gave me was enough to sate my thirst. I drank a little more eagerly than I normally did, but I didn't care. I knew that how I acted didn't matter to Furston. She knew how hard this was for me, so she ignored my drinking habits after the sessions.  
  
One thing that couldn't be ignored was the growling that my stomach had started making not long after I drank my water. It had been several hours since I had last eaten and my hunger was starting to make itself known again. Which meant that it was now time for my evening meal and probably another casual chat with Furston before she left the lab for the night.  
  
"Hungry already, #3?" Furston teased.  
  
"Don't even start," I warned as I handed her my bowl to fill.  
  
Furston just laughed as she took my bowl and headed off towards the far corner of the lab. In that corner, there is a large machine that closely resembles what kats called a 'vending machine.' Its somewhat smaller, has only pale white for color, and has only two options in food instead of the many that a true vending machine has, as well as a stink that sends most kats running. And it is from this marvelous machine, known as a food dispenser, that my meals come from.  
  
"Okay, your choice. We've got raw fish meat or some kind of slop," Furston gagged as she came close enough to catch said stink for herself.  
  
I considered the choices for a moment before answering. Both were constant staples in the creepling diet. I certainly had my share of both during my lifetime and I found that they had their ups and downs. The fish meat offered a bit more of a gamey taste that came from the food being from a fresh kill instead of something from a can. But the slop had a certain texture that could only come from mixing more than one food source together.  
  
"Surprise me," I replied.  
  
Furston rolled her eyes at me and proceeded to choose whatever my dinner would be. I smiled to myself. I knew that Furston preferred it when I just told her what I wanted so that she can just get the food and just get away from what she saw as the reek of the food dispenser as quickly as possible. Perhaps it's just a little bit petty, but this is just my little way of getting back at her for making such a big deal out of these stupid vocabulary lessons.  
  
I spent the time watching Furston try to make a decision on what to feed me. Her nose was scrunched up as she chose to give me the lesser of the twos reeks, the slop, and started to pour some into my bowl. From where I sat, I could smell that tonight's slop was a mixture of some kind of bird meat and grains. It was about a week old, which accounted for the bouquet of what would be my dinner.  
  
That was fine though. The longer slop sits, the better a chance it has for the mixture to settle together. This makes it easier for creeplings to digest. We might be carnivores, but even we can't keep down certain foods if they're too chunky. If that happens, the experience that follows is definitely most unpleasant.  
  
But I decided not to think about that I watched as Furston finished filling the bowls and moved away from the dispenser as quickly as she could. As always, it was one of the funniest things that I saw during my day. And it was also the one time of the day that I had to fight for major control of myself or start laughing as hard as I could.  
  
I knew that if I started laughing, then it might offend Furston and she might withhold my dinner. It hadn't happened before, but I knew the kat well enough that I knew that it was possible. After the day that I had led, I wasn't going to chance anything. So I kept my mouth shut and waited for Furston to reach me.  
  
"How you can eat that is beyond me," she snorted as she handed the bowl to me.  
"The feeling is mutual, Furston. You kats eat cooked food and it has no taste," I countered, taking a firm hold on my dish.  
  
"Yes it does. What do you think all the seasoning and spices we put on our food is for?" Furston demanded.  
  
I grinned," I always thought it was because you kats like to put rocks and strange plants in your food. That's what those seasonings and spices are you know."  
  
Furston opened her mouth to say something but then stopped. Instead, she looked at me curiously, as if she was considering something. Probably trying to figure out how I even knew about these things. Spices and cooking wasn't exactly among the list of things that the scientists were trying to teach me.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" Furston asked finally.  
  
"I have my ways," I replied.  
  
"Come on, #3. This isn't something you should joke about. You could get into a lot of trouble if someone finds out you're going outside the program. How did you find out about that?" Furston demanded.  
  
"I prefer to keep a few tricks to myself," I grinned.  
  
This only seemed to irk Furston more, but she eventually caught on that it wouldn't do any good to keep trying to get me to talk. She knew that when I wanted to be, I could be almost as stubborn as Cox could. Once that happened, it was no use trying to get me to do anything else. I would just stick with my decision and leave it at that.  
  
To be honest, I found out about these sorts of things by hacking into one of the lab computers. By watching the scientists so often and by my own trial and errors, I was actually quite adept at finding my way on a computer. Like door locks, I know that there are certain combinations needed in order to make anything work. The trick is just figuring out what that is. Once that was done and a path was cleared, the sky was the limit in what one could do with a computer.  
  
When I went onto a computer, I usually surfed on the information superhighway known as the Internet. From that, I was able to learn about things that weren't possible in the lab and watchful eyes of the scientists. The lessons that they had planned were full of what I considered mundane things that had no real use to me.  
  
On the Internet however, I found things that I had never even heard of before. These caught my interest and opened my mind to new possibilities. Possibilities that further expanded on both my knowledge and my small world. Something that allowed me to remind myself that there really was more to think about than what I've known for myself.  
  
Somehow, I also think that Master might have known of my constant forays across the Internet frontier. There is little that goes on here in the compound that he isn't aware of. If that's the case however, why he hadn't said or done anything to stop my explorations is a bit of a mystery to me. I just know that it allowed me to continue my explorations and learn as much as I could about the outside world.  
  
I suppose that's a bit of a paradox when I think about it enough. If I'm so interested in learning about the outside world, why haven't I tried to escape the lab in order to see it for myself? That is something I have asked myself time and time again and each time I come to the same conclusion.  
  
No matter how interested I was in learning about something, I didn't see enough of a point to make the attempt. Sure I wouldn't have to stay in a cage anymore and I would be able to see the sky again, but there were other things to consider. Like, if I did try to leave the compound to see the outer world, where would I go? It had been a long time since I had been outside my small world and never once had I been on my own.  
  
Even though I am smarter than other creeplings, I would have no idea how to survive on my own. It has been too long since I hunted for the occasional live prey for myself, so I have forgotten how to do that. So unless I had some way of stealing food from someone else, I wouldn't last long on my own.  
  
Nor would I be able to last long against the elements. Unlike the other creeplings, I am kept at a certain weight at all times. It's enough to keep my healthy, but not enough to allow me to build up a layer of protective fat. Without that, if I were in higher altitudes or a cold region, I wouldn't last long then either.  
  
Besides, leaving meant that I would be going against what Master had planned. I knew how much time he had put into this and the work that was involved in making what I am today. I couldn't just make all of that in vain by up and leaving into a situation that might very well end up as a disaster for me.  
  
So all in all, for the time being, it's in my best interests to just explore via the computer screen. Sure it might not be the real thing and I'm stuck in a place where they're constantly hooking me up to machines and sticking needles into me, but it's better than the alternative. One that in my mind, is not something I would want to face if I can help it.  
  
"You're a real pain sometimes, you know that right?" Furston snorted, drawing my thoughts back to the present and the subject of food.  
  
I just croaked a reply as I placed my bowl beside me. The action brought a frown to Furston's face as she watched me. She looked at me sternly and to my dismay, she started the one thing that I dislike about her: her lectures about what was supposed to be my 'proper behavior.'  
  
"You're doing it again, #3. You know you have to speak kat while we're doing this, not creepling. You're never going to learn how to speak properly if you keep that up," she scolded.  
  
I grumbled," Sorry. Just slipped."  
  
"It's the fourth time that you've let yourself slip this week, #3. You need to keep better control over that," Furston said.  
  
I said nothing, deciding instead to just let Furston rant herself out. It was the only way I knew that would get her back to normal again. Well, as close to normal as one could consider a kat who spends her nights making conversation with a talking creepling. But that was really beside the point.  
  
Furston would occasionally let me slide if I went between kat and creepling. She probably understood that is was difficult for me to keep the two straight sometimes. But her understanding could only go so far before she felt that I could do better than I was. She was insistent that I practice keeping a barrier between the two until I was proficient enough to do so without instruction.  
  
I may not have liked this, but I tolerated it since verbal communication was the only thing that Furston really pressured me in. Everything else, she left me alone in because she knew that I would put my best effort forward unless I was trying to annoy someone. And when that happened, she either let me take my own course or scold me for slowing things down by being childish.  
  
Scoldings were going to be the last thing that either of us had on our minds in the coming moments however. From somewhere outside the lab, I caught a whisper of sound that caused me to stiffen as I leaned forward towards the cage door. My ears strained to catch the sound again as Furston looked at me in confusion.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Company," I answered.  
  
Furston only nodded. Around here, there was only one thing that ever caused me to go rigid like this. It was the approach of my brothers and sisters. To me, their approach always spelled trouble of some kind. Maybe not for me directly, but what would somehow involve me in one way or another.  
  
As expected, no sooner had I thought this than a group of seven creeplings came bounding through the entrance. They wasted no time in coming towards us, chattering and complaining the entire time. It wasn't hard for me to pick up the conversation going on among the group as they drew near us. That was because even if they were ignoring, they didn't bother to hide their conversation from me. So I heard everything that they were saying. Which wasn't really of much interest to me, since it was just about the usual things.  
  
"Let me guess, they're ready to go?" Furston replied after a moment.  
  
"Yes," I nodded," They are bored and want to go. They are hungry."  
  
"They're always hungry," Furston muttered.  
  
I just nodded while the other creeplings just hissed at Furston. They had heard her comment as clearly as I did and none of them appreciated it. But it was a completely accurate description, so I didn't see what they were complaining about.  
  
Then it again, it was probably their hunger that was making them so irritable right now. If they weren't hungry, I knew that they might have been a little more tolerant of Furston taking her time. Well, maybe some of the milder ones might have. The others might have voiced the same complaints that they were using now.  
  
But even complaining about being hungry wasn't enough for them to forget their duties. These creeplings, like the rest of our kind, had been assigned a specific task that Master expected them to carry out to the fullest. No mistakes of any kind would be accepted or tolerated.  
  
This group in particular was to guard Furston and escort her everywhere whenever she wasn't in the lab. This was a measure that Master took in order to keep an eye on her and the other scientists, to better keep an eye on his investments. A little paranoid in my opinion, but not too unusual when one considers Master's position.  
  
He was a powerful kat who had a paw in more schemes and happenings than I could ever hope to count. That meant that he had almost unlimited access to vast amounts of resources that allowed him to continue his operations undisturbed. But with so much happening in his life, that also meant that Master had to guard his assets very carefully.  
  
Those assets included the scientists who continuously worked with me. Their job, though the outcome was unclear to me, was to train me and to discover just what I was capable of. And so that was why such securities were taken with both their safety and to be aware of their activities, even when the guards in question were not in the mood to do their job. Like now, as this group was getting restless with having to wait on Furston to leave so they could go eat.  
  
"We'll go as soon as I've checked #3's foot. She was hurt earlier during testing," Furston tried to explain to the other creeplings.  
  
It was a wasted effort if I ever heard one. The other creeplings just scoffed at the kat's words even as she spoke them. It didn't matter to them that I had been hurt. I was of no consequence to the other creeplings. What mattered to them was getting out of here, seeing Furston off to wherever she needed to go, and then getting to the evening feeding before everything was gone.  
  
Just as they didn't care how she felt, Furston didn't care what my brethren had to say either. Despite the glares that the other creeplings were giving her, Furston proceeded with her task. She looked over the bandaged foot that I had presented to her without protest and checked to be sure that everything was in order.  
  
Through it all, I managed to keep a straight face and bite back on the pain that I felt as Furston inspected my foot. I wanted to show the other creeplings that I was capable of being as indifferent as they were when it came to pain, but it wasn't that easy. The muscle where the tag had been was starting to get tender from the electrical shocks and from my having moved around in my cage around it.  
  
So as Furston continued to press her fingertips against the bandaging and the skin beneath, it felt like needles were being stuck deep into my flesh. Feeling like this made me want to yell and screech like I had first done when Fishbreath had started giving me the shocks. But except for a few minor hisses, I managed to hold back the brunt of what I was feeling.  
  
"Looks all right, but you should keep off it for a day or so," Furston said once she finished.  
  
I just nodded once as a scooted back into my cage. Once I was safely inside, Furston closed the door behind me. Out of habit, she locked it like she did every night. We both knew that if I wanted to, I would be able to get out in no time. But tonight, I was in no mood to go traveling. So there was no harm in the action.  
  
"Guess I better get going before these guys decide to eat me instead," Furston sighed as she glanced over her shoulder at the increasingly agitated creeplings," Good night. I'll see you in the morning, #3."  
  
"Good night, Furston," I nodded.  
  
With that, she turned and headed towards the lab entrance. Hot on her tail were the other creeplings, their own croaks and babblings revealing how excited they were to finally be leaving. They were all talking about the meal that would be waiting for them as soon as they finished their job with Furston. An action that I could only shake my head at, since it wasn't all that long ago that I had been thinking just like that.  
  
In a creepling's life, there are few things that hold a great deal of meaning. Foremost is Master, since he's the one that creeplings are bred to obey with our lives. After him comes food and dominance among ourselves. Depending on the situation, either one of these two things can take precedence over the other.  
  
And right now, food was the most important thing on the minds of the other creeplings. Hence their hurry to get out of here and to the feeding area as soon as possible. So they urged Furston to hurry up and leave the lab so that they could do just that. I watched them go in silence before turning to my own food and drink.  
  
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that all but one of the creeplings continued to ignore me as Furston was led out of the lab. This one, a young male not long into adulthood from the way he held himself, chose to remain behind while the others left. He remained behind when the others left, watching me intently from his position a few yards from my cage.  
  
At first, I was inclined to just ignore him. Though it wasn't very common, there were those creeplings who found my appearance so bizarre that they just had to stop and stare at me. The staring could go on from anywhere between a few seconds to as long as an hour.  
  
I didn't know if that was how long this particular guest was going to stay or if he would leave sooner. I just know that eventually, I forgot my meal as my curiosity got the better of me and I started to acknowledge his presence. He had earned that much by staying longer than the others had being doing lately. For the last few weeks, they had only been staying behind for a few moments and then heading off for their own business. This one seemed either more curious or just brash at staying for as long as he had.  
  
"What is it?" I asked warily in kat.  
  
I don't know why I did that. It would have been so much easier for me to just talk to him in creepling. That was a language that we could both speak and understand without any trouble at all. But for some reason, I was feeling difficult again and just went with the first impulse that came to mind.  
  
The other creepling just stared at me in surprise before answering. I had the feeling that even if he had known about me, he hadn't really believed all the rumors that are spread about me among the creeplings. If he had, then he wouldn't have been so surprised that I could speak in Master's tongue as well as our own.  
  
When he finally overcame his shock, he sneered and croaked something to me. As I did, I couldn't help but glare at the little brat's audacity and cruelty. A simple translation was that he was asking me how it felt to be a pitiful lab rat instead of a warrior like everyone else. He was making fun of me for being stuck in a cage while he was free to move about as he pleased.  
  
I barely managed to keep myself from snarling at him for that comment. I knew that was just the reaction that he was hoping to get out of me. Well, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Instead, I just looked at him as calmly as I could and formulated an answer before I responded.  
  
"Where I go and where I don't is my business, not yours. I stay here because this is what Master has ordered and I don't want to disappoint him. Even a youngster like you should be able to understand that," I answered coolly.  
  
He just snickered again at my words and then bounded out the door after the others. I watched him go with a mixture of outrage and growing hurt. I should have known better than to believe that he was actually going to be civil with me. He was just like the others, taunting me for my differences and the fact that I have to stay in a cage while they have the freedom to go where they will.  
  
If I had the nerve to, I would have stood up to this treatment long ago. I would have made it clear to the others that simply because I was different that it gave them no right to treat me like they did. But because my anger towards my brothers and sisters never lasts long, I never have the courage to do that.  
  
So the treatment that I'm an outsider that none of the other creeplings will ever accept again continues as it has for some time. In their eyes, I guess I've become too much of a freak for life to be any other way. I suppose all that they can see is what I've become instead of who I am. It isn't something I relish, but one that I can understand to an extent.  
  
There were times when I saw myself as a freak as well. And with good reason as far as I could see once I consider all the facts. Even though my physical appearance is still generally a creepling's form, I had certain traits that easily helped me to stand out.  
  
Where the other creeplings are shades of deep pink or light purple, I was a deep, irridescent green. It is a shade that covered nearly every inch of my body. The only exceptions were my wing membranes and a growth on my back. Both of these were a jet-black tint that blended completely into the shadows whenever I stood among them.  
  
The wing membranes had been apart of me since the day I was born. They had originally been a deep violet color that almost matched Master's fur. After the change however, they turned to black. Like my skin pigment, that happened because of a reaction that occurred with the chemicals that I was exposed to during the splicing stage.  
  
The growth was a more recent part of my anatomy. It began to form and grow about seven months ago when I was still undergoing genetic alterations. It ran from between my ears, down the length of my spine, and down to the very tip of my tail. It was jagged most of the way down, looking as if someone had badly cut it with a razor. At one time, the scientists had considered removing the growth since it served no function as far as they were concerned.  
  
Master had dismissed that idea after he had seen the growth for himself. He told them to leave it as it was. There was no reason for them to waste time removing something that was doing no harm or obstructing progress. So it was left where it was and further helped to set me apart from everyone around me.  
  
Sometimes, when I'm depressed from looking at myself and the changes in my body and mind, I almost wish that someone else had been chosen for Master's experiments. I wish that someone else had been chosen to undergo the long darkness that I endure for two long years in order to receive the painstakingly slow process of genetic alteration. I wish that someone else could be the freak in the cage while I was the one who was with the crowd, taunting them.  
  
These feelings used to be commonplace for me in the beginning, just after I was wakened from my long dormancy in a glass tube. But as time went on and came to the present, I've mostly gotten over such things. I know that feeling sorry for myself won't change the situation and that it's best to accept things for as they are.  
  
Eventually I just gave up on these pitied thoughts and decided to get some sleep. It was the one way I knew to pass the hours until morning other than busting out of my cage again or thinking about my problems as I had been. And since I either couldn't or wouldn't deal with these other options, sleep seemed the best thing to do.  
  
Besides, being asleep meant that I could dream and in my dreams, being myself was enough. It was the one place that no one expected things from me nor did they find some way to hurt me. Just thing that I needed after a long day like today.  
  
A/N: End chapter. I hope that this cleared up a few questions on how #3 came to be the way she is now. Somewhat vague in many areas still I know, but I plan on going into greater detail in future chapters. I just wanted to let everyone know just why she's different and why the other creeplings treat her like such an outsider.  
By the next chapter, I intend to seriously pick up the pace. That means sooner or later, I'm bringing in the Swat Kats. Too me long enough I know, but again, I have a reason for my madness. Until then, thanks for reading and I promise to have the next chapter out real soon. Later. 


	5. Change in plans

Disclaimer: I don't own Swat Kats or anything associated, just my own originals.  
  
Chapter 4: Change in plans  
  
A/N: I know that #3's coloration is very similar to Dr. Viper's, but that's kind of an accident. I chose green and black because they're my favorite color combo and thought it would look cool on a creepling. If there was any confusion on this, sorry about that. I hadn't realized what I did until after reading the reviews.  
  
More than a month has passed since the last major incident involving Fishbreath and the shock treatment. My wounds are now healed, leaving with me only the occasional twinge of pain running through my foot when I step on it a certain way. But I really don't mind it, since there is no one around to make it worse.  
  
Old Fishbreath has yet to return from whatever Master did to him for hurting me. To me, that means whatever he suffered must have been pretty bad. Whenever he gets Master mad enough to make him punish the scientist, he's usually back within a week at the most.  
  
And when he did come back, it was always in a bad mood that would last for weeks to come. That bad mood would effect everything around him in the lab. Everyone who step back a bit, acting out of character as they gave Fishbreath room to rant and vent his frustrations about Dark Kat's treatment of him.  
  
His way of venting more than once meant that it end up being another round of torture for me in the VR chamber. The torture itself wouldn't be as painful as the stuff that had started everything in the first place, but it would end up being of one the longer sessions. And longer sessions meant more chances for Fishbreath to use the shock treatment on me.  
  
But right now, Fishbreath and his revenge tactics are the last thing on my mind. Instead, I'm more focused and excited about what's happening in front of me right now. Standing almost in front of my cage are Master and Furston talking about something. Something that's making me both more excited and nervous than I've been in weeks.  
  
"I have heard your reasons enough times, Dr. Furston. That does not mean I will agreed to what you are proposing," Master said.  
  
"I know it's still early and more tests need to be run, but I honestly believe that #3 is ready for this, Dark Kat. She's already exceeded the earlier expectations of her progress by more than 32% and that is constantly growing," Furston insisted.  
  
"Progress does not mean that my creepling is ready for this type of experience, Dr. Furston. I have not spent nearly three years in preparation only to have it wasted because she was sent out too early," Dark Kat snapped.  
  
Hearing that tone, it was clear, to me at least, that this was not a topic that Master wanted to discuss anymore. He had obviously made up his mind. He did not think that I was ready for what Furston was proposing, which was to allow me to go out on the next mission he was planning to take into Megakat City.  
  
Knowing that he felt this way disappointed me somewhat. This was something that Furston and the other scientists had been considering for days now. Whenever they had a free moment in the lab, it was all that they talked about. And since they never bothered to hide their conversation around me, I knew about it too.  
  
The very idea was both intriguing and exhilarating to me. Being able to get out of the lab would be a nice change in scenery to say the least. Even though I had no desire to leave it behind, it was still boring to have no other rooms to look at. I know every knook and cranny of the lab like the back of my own paw, so that also means that there's nothing new for me to explore.  
  
So to have the chance to see something new for once was a nice idea to me. So I was actually hoping that Master would go along with Furston's idea. I knew that I was ready like Furston claimed. I knew that I would be ready to deal with anything that came my way. Unfortunately for all of us, Master didn't feel that way and shot our dreams to dust.  
"But Dark Kat," Furston started to protest.  
  
"I have made my decision, Dr. Furston. The creepling remains here until I am certain that her skills are at optimum level," Dark Kat snapped, his temper obviously on the rise now.  
  
He turned to leave when his path was blocked by a much smaller kat dressed in a white trench coat and matching cream fur. Cox glared up at Master as he stared down at her in outrage and surprise. The rest of us were just staring on in shock, since we had no idea what was going on.  
  
"Oh, will you stop worrying about what you think and just listen to what Emily is saying, Dark Kat? She knows more about this than you ever will, so don't tell her that #3 isn't ready," Cox snapped.  
  
I held my breath and I know that everyone else in the room did too. Normally when Master was around, Cox was told not to say anything. Everyone knew what a temper she had when someone got her upset, so they told her to keep away from him when he came into the lab. There were a lot of things that Master did that Cox hated and if given the chance to voice her opinions, she was bound to get herself in more trouble than even Fishbreath managed to.  
  
A tense silence filled the room as Cox continued to stare down Master and he looked stuck between deciding just how he should react. I have to be honest, I have never seen him like this. That might not be surprising, considering that no one alive that I knew of had ever had enough guts to do something so stupid.  
  
"What did you say?!" Master demanded.  
  
"You heard me. If there's anyone who knows what #3 is ready for, it's Dr. Emily Furston," Cox snapped," She knows that creepling better than anyone else here, including Dr. Felinous. If she says that #3 is ready to move onto the next step, then the creepling's ready and you should listen to her."  
  
I swear that jaws were dropping all over the room. I know that mine certainly did. I couldn't believe what Cox was doing. Did she actually want to lose one or all of the nine lives kats are supposed to possess? That was how it seemed because only a complete and utter fool would dare to speak to Master like that and hope to live afterwards. Which meant that her next words weren't so smart either.  
  
"I'm just telling you the truth, Dark Kat. Deal with it," Cox snorted.  
  
Master regarded the smaller female kat for a moment. Then, before she had time to even blink, Cox was sent flying across the room with one swipe of Master's paw. She landed hard against one of the consoles, actually bending the side of it from the impact. It really didn't matter though, since Cox wasn't awake long enough to notice what had happened. She was out cold the instant she hit the console. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped down into an unconscious heap.  
  
The rest of us stared in shock and mounting fear. Whenever Master allowed his anger to show through, then it always meant that real trouble was about to show up. So now it was time for the rest of us to be on both edge and our best behavior if we didn't want to suffer the same fate.  
  
Never giving Cox's condition a second thought as he glanced over at me, Master asked," And what have you to say about this, my creepling? Do you believe that your skills are as adequate as these fools are claiming?"  
  
I just stared at him for a moment because I was too shocked to respond right away. Though he knew that I could talk and spoke to me occasionally, it wasn't like him to ask my opinion on anything. To him, even with my enhanced intelligence, I was still a creepling in many regards. So to have him ask me about anything, especially about something like this, was nothing short of a shock for me.  
  
"Well, what do you have to say, my creepling?" Master prompted.  
  
Out of fear, I nearly answered him in creepling. It's one of the few things that help me to think straight when I'm answering him when he's been upset. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself in time and speak in kat instead. Somehow, I had the feeling that now was not the time to slip. If I was going to prove Furston's claims as true, then I had to act like it.  
  
Bowing my head, I answered hesitantly," I'm confident in what I can do, Master. I know that I am capable of the tasks that are given to me by the scientists. But I also know that it is still early in my training for anything serious to be done with my skills. If you feel that it is too early for me to leave the lab, then I will accept that, Master. I will not question your decisions."  
  
Master nodded, as he seemed to be considering my words while Furston and the others just looked at me like I was being stupid. I really didn't care what they thought of me though. I just answered in a way that I knew would satisfy Master and keep me out of the hot seat.  
  
After a moment, Master said," If the results of this week's testing are of worthy quality, then I will take your petition into consideration, Dr. Furston. But if they are not, then my creepling shall remain here until I am satisfied."  
  
And without a second glance back, Master departed and was gone within a few heartbeats. As soon as he was, the others hurried over to check on Cox. They hadn't dared to move when Master was there. For as had been the case with Fishbreath a month before, no one else wanted to risk getting hurt themselves. A feeling that passed once Master was out of the room.  
  
"Will she be okay?" Springfoot asked.  
  
"Should be, but let's get her to the infirmary and make sure nothing's broken," Bristles grunted as he picked up Cox.  
  
"With that hard head, I doubt she broke anything but the console," Springfoot joked.  
"Not funny, Cecil," Bristles snorted, carrying his female companion out of the lab with a grumbling Springfoot in tow.  
  
I watched them go in silence. I was hoping that Cox would be okay. Even though she had a bit of a mouth and had brought this on herself for opening said mouth, I still didn't want her to get hurt.  
  
"She didn't have to go through that you know," Furston said.  
  
I glanced over at the she-kat. She was approaching my cage from near the entrance where she had been when discussing matters with Master. The look on her face was not that of someone who was very happy. And somehow, I had the feelin that I was the cause of that unfriendly expression.  
  
"Is there a problem?" I asked.  
  
"You could have been a bit more helpful, #3," Furston snapped," You know that you're ready for something like this and that you have been for weeks. It would have made things easier for all of us if you had told him that instead of speaking in riddles."  
  
"Unlike you kats," I replied calmly," I don't like to tempt fate. I know when and where I need to pick my battles. Going against what Master wants isn't one of them. So I just say what I know won't get me into trouble."  
  
Furston just looked at me funny after that. I wasn't sure if she was trying to find logic in what I was saying or if she thought I was just being lazy. It really didn't matter to me. All that mattered to me was that in the coming days, I would finally be getting out of the lab and back out into the world. A world that I couldn't wait to see again and find my way in.  
  
A/N: And there we go. It's taken long enough, but we're finally getting out of the lab and out into the world beyond. In the next chapter, I plan on revealing a lot more details on just what Dark Kat plans to do. But how that involves #3 is something I'm just going to wait on until then. Thanks for reading, later. 


	6. What have I become

Disclaimer: See previous chapters  
  
Chapter 5: What I have become  
  
A/N: This was supposed to be a longer chapter, but after reading a review posted by Ebonezer, I decided that it would be better to put what I had on hold for now. Instead I decided that it would be better to clear up a few things and answer a few questions about #3's past. I hope that this isn't too boring and that it helps everyone better understand just what happened to the little twerp. Thank you.  
  
Thankfully, Cox wasn't as hurt as everyone had feared. Her injury was a slight concussion that would heal itself within a few weeks and would leave no lasting marks. It meant that she would be a little behind in her work during that time, but that didn't matter. As long as she was okay, that was all that mattered to the other scientists and myself.  
  
But there were many other things for us to worry about besides Cox's condition. There were also the preparations being made to help prove to Master that my skills were at an optimum level. That meant rigorous rounds of testing and training in the VR system, endless hours working on my vocabulary and diction, and maze after maze to test my reflexes. Basically, everything that I normally had to do, only in overdrive.  
  
It all exhausted me to the point where I fell asleep the instant I was back in my cage each night. But I didn't care. Being a little tired was a sacrifice that I was willing to make if it helped to push things further. I would do what was asked of me without question and carry out the tasks to the fullest.  
  
The moment of truth came at the end of the week and Master came to collect the final data for that session. Everyone had held their breaths yet again as we waited for him to review everything and give his final verdict. The suspense was one of the hardest things that I ever had to live through. It was hard not knowing what Master was going to say as he took his time going over the data.  
  
Though it was barely passable in his eyes, Master finally agreed that what everyone boasted was true. I had exceeded the expectations everyone placed on me and so that meant that I was ready for something more challenging. I was ready to leave the safe and controlled world of the laboratory to head off into the wide unknown.  
  
Well, there was really an exact location that I would be heading into while in the wide unknown. Where that was going to be I hadn't been told yet. That would come later when we were headed out on the Doomsday Express in the coming days.  
  
The Doomsday Express was the aircraft that Master used as transport whenever he went on his missions. Thanks to the mishaps that sometimes happened during these missions, there had been several versions of it over the years. This model was a remake of the last one that had been destroyed by the Swat Kats about six months ago.  
  
Now there is a thorn in Master's side if there ever was one. For as long as I can remember, the Swat Kats have always been there to foil Master's plans. A fact that certainly doesn't help to endear them to the creepling population.  
  
Among the creeplings, the Swat Kats are a hated name and enemy. Many times they have stood in Master's way and cost many of our kind their lives in battle. Both of these are more than enough to cause many of my brethren to swear vengeance against the two kats. More than once I have heard someone muttering that sooner or later, the Swat Kats will meet their ends by creepling claws.  
  
My personal opinion about the Swat Kats is somewhat mixed. When it comes to my kind being killed, it's only natural that I don't like them. Even when they treat me like an outcast, the other creeplings and I still share the same blood. They mean something to me on a basic level because of this and so it saddens me whenever one of them passes.  
  
As to how I feel about the Swat Kats myself, for me alone, I really don't have an opinion. Other than what the other creeplings say and the fact that they get in Master's way all the time, I don't know too much about them. And if there's one thing that I've learned in the last few months, it's not to base one's opinions on word of mouth and only a few bare facts.  
  
I certainly can't make too much of an assumption about them from my own experience. I only met them once a long time ago. I was still very young as creeplings go and hadn't been into battle before. At the time, I was both nervous and excited. That was my chance to impress Master and show him what I could to help him achieve his goals.  
  
Sadly, as with many things in life, things didn't go the way that I had planned. I never had my chance to prove myself to Master. Instead, I found myself being knocked unconscious only a few moments into a battle that started when the Swat Kats suddenly appeared to stop Master's plan of the time.  
  
By the time I came to, it had all been over. The Swat Kats had defeated Master's plan, forcing him to withdraw until another time. Needless to say, he had not been happy about this. One of the other creeplings who had helped to drag me back to the damaged Doomsday Express told me about it later.  
  
He had said that on the way back to base, Master had practically tossed a dozen of the other creeplings around the ship. Most of them had gotten away with some bruises while a couple had suffered broken bones in their arms and a leg in one. After hearing that, I was almost glad that I was unconscious through all this. That meant that I couldn't be blamed for anything.  
  
That was a feeling that I soon regretted. I would rather have faced Master's wrath than what was about to come. For it was not long after that I was chosen along with five others to become part of Master's experiment. We were all to undergo genetic alteration and tampering to see if we could be made into whatever Master was hoping for.  
  
The only things that I recall from that time come in the form of brief flashes of feeling pain and being trapped in the dark. And since these were probably from when I was conscious, I can't be too sure of all the details of what was going on with the others or what was being done to us. What I do know is that soon, where there had been six, there would only be one.  
  
Because for one reason or another, the other five had slowly died off over the course of two years. The first one to go had been #6, a large male that was about four years old and a prime example of creepling physique. He had been in many battles and had survived with only a few minor scars as testament to what he had experienced in his life. He passed away about five months into the initial alterations.  
  
A female labeled #2 and a male known as #5 were the next to go. The two went within a week of one another about a year into the project. Just as with #6, there was no apparent cause as to why they died. It was just assumed that they were either too weak to survive alterations or something had simply gone wrong during the sequencing.  
  
A male called #1 went after the project was fourteen months old. The difference between his demise and that of the others was that he deteriorated very slowly over the course of several months. Many attempts had been made to halt the process but nothing worked. After five months of a slow death, #1's pain finally ended when he went during the night.  
  
The last to succumb to whatever had killed the others was the male known as #4. Like me, he had survived the majority of the alterations and it seemed almost certain that he would make it through to the final stages. But then, just two months before everything was completed and we were to be awakened, he too died.  
  
His death was the last major blow to the project. #4 was seen as the strongest creepling chosen for the project and many hopes had been placed on his survival. He was supposed to be the one that made everything worthwhile and that the deaths of the other four would not be in vain. So when he went, it was almost certain that the project would be terminated soon after since I was the only creepling left.  
  
From the beginning, I was seen as the weakest creepling. The others had either been physically stronger or more intelligent than I was. My size, though I was larger than #5, wasn't among the most imposing and my fighting skills were moderate at best because of my calmer disposition.  
  
Of course, I wouldn't have been chosen in the first place if it weren't for my calmness. Thanks to this, everyone felt that I would be perfect for the experiment simply because it would be easier to handle me than if I had an attitude like the other creeplings. So when the other five were taken into the lab for the first and final time, I went with them to begin a two- year period of lost memories and darkness.  
  
Now I suppose one might wonder that if I was unconscious during all this, then how would I know what had happened to the others. A reasonable question that I might understand someone asking, since I know that I definitely would if I weren't familiar with the situation. The answer of course, lies in the one kat who has proven to be more of a friend to me than anyone else.  
  
I know what I do thanks to Furston. She told me one night when no one else was in the lab. She may have been adamant about sticking to Master's schedule and teaching methods, but there were times when Furston would tell me things. It was usually when there was no one else around and only after I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone about what I had learned. Then she would explain certain situations to me and clear up any misunderstandings I might have about the world.  
  
In this particular instance, I think she explained everything to me because she knew how confused I was when I realized that I was the only creepling used for testing. I kept seeing the others come and go as they wished while I was restricted to the laboratory and its adjacent chambers. I couldn't see why I wasn't allowed to be with them like I had in the past. It wasn't fair to me.  
  
After almost a month of this, Furston had broken down and told me what had happened to everyone else. In her opinion, it wasn't right to keep me in the dark about the losses suffered in the experiment when I was feeling so upset. In her own words, I deserved to know the truth about who I was and what had made my life what it had become.  
  
When I initially heard the story, my heart sank in a way that both confused and distressed me. I couldn't understand why I had lived and why my brothers and sister hadn't. Being as naïve as I was back then, I believed that we all should have made it together or not at all.  
  
Within a very short period however, I got over this silly innocence. I learned soon enough that being the sole survivor was more than just being with others who could share my fate. It was learning to endure what was soon becoming my existence of constant testing and training for something I still don't know anything about.  
  
At the same time though, I gained a better understanding of just why Master was so adamant about my remaining in the lab for so long. He had put a lot into this project, lost so much, and gained so little. I was the only thing he had to show for almost two and a half years worth of work. That was obviously something he didn't want to waste and in many ways, I couldn't blame him.  
  
Yet at the same time, none of that really mattered to me right now. All that mattered was the mission ahead and whatever part Master wished for me to play in it. I had to remember that if I was going to do a good job on this. I couldn't let my concentration wander until this was over. So as I sit here in my cage waiting for morning to come so we can make the final preparations, I clear my head and await what is to come.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but it really was just for explanations. And I hope that there was enough to explain why #3 is the only creepling who is being trained by Dark Kat and the scientists. It doesn't tell exactly what the training is for, but I plan on revealing that later on in the fic. Until then, thanks for reading and I hope that everyone enjoyed this. Later. 


	7. Into the Unknown

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.  
  
Chapter 6: Into the Unknown  
  
A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This is an early Christmas present for the readers. Okay, time to get back on track. This is what I had originally planned to do before I got sidetracked with explaining about #3's past. In this chapter, we're about to find out where Dark Kat plans to head and just what might be in store for #3 and the rest while they're on the mission.  
  
I fidgeted impatiently as I waited for Furston and Bristles to finish the medical exam that they had begun about an hour before. It was a routine examination that we went through about once a week and was something that I was so used to that normally I didn't make a fuss about it. But today was different.  
  
Today was the day that I would finally be allowed to go with Master on the mission he had planned. The place that we were heading, as I had finally learned before the examination began, was Puma Dyne. This was the location where most of Megakat City's technological research went on.  
  
The technology, if I remembered correctly from all that I had read on the Internet, was used for a variety of purposes. Some of it was for defense purposes against enemy attacks, while others were used for exploration in either the hostile environment of space or somewhere here on the planet. There was more, but most of that escaped me at the moment as I tried not to scratch at Bristles for a particularly painful needle jab.  
  
"Yow!" I hissed, pulling my arm away when the kat was done," Did you really have to do that, Bristles? I'd think you have enough by now."  
  
Bristles smirked," When it comes to your charm, #3, one can never get enough."  
  
Furston smiled at this while I just rolled my eyes. I guess he thought I might be nervous and was trying to calm me down by making his signature jokes. That was nice of him, but I really didn't want to have jokes made about my charm right now. I wanted this to be over so that I could get down to the hangar where I knew that Master and the others would be waiting for me.  
  
I think that the scientists were picking up on my impatience, since Bristles didn't make anymore jokes after that. He knew what happened when I got agitated enough and now was not the time for that to happen. So they just finished up the examination in silence, which took about another half an hour by my estimation.  
  
As soon as they were done, I was finally allowed to leave. I jumped off the table where I had been sitting almost a little too eagerly and bolted for the door. Hot on my tail was Furston, who was to escort me down to the hangar. Bristles was to remain behind and finish logging the results from the tests they had run.  
  
The journey towards the hangar would prove to be more trying than I first thought it would be. For one thing, my arm was slightly sore from where Bristles had stuck me with the needle and second, I had to listen to Furston give me a last minute lecture on how I was supposed to act. The first was just an annoyance while the second was just a headache that I didn't need.  
  
"You better watch yourself, #3," Furston warned as we went deeper into the compound," This is going to be your only chance to make a good impression on Dark Kat about what you can do. If you mess this up, it might be months before he'll let you out of here again."  
  
"I know that already, Furston," I sighed," I'm not stupid. I know how much this means."  
  
My tone was irritable as I was trying to be blunt but polite about how this wasn't helping me. The last thing that I needed right now was Furston getting me so upset that I wouldn't be able to think straight. She needed to just stop worrying and have a little faith in me. After all, it was her faith in my abilities that had gotten this whole mess started in the first place.  
  
Furston looked as if she was going to scold me for being so impudent with her, but she never got the chance. At that moment, we finally made it to the hangar. Once we were inside, I found that we both went silent. Furston because she knew that her chance at conversation with me had now passed and me because I was surprised with what lay before me.  
  
This hangar was by far the biggest chamber that I had ever seen in my life. The lab where I spent most of my time could have easily fit in this place three times over and still have room to spare for all the equipment that lined the walls. I could only imagine how long it took to build this place and put everything into order.  
  
My attention shifted away from all this as soon as I saw the Doomsday Express. It was still the same one that I remembered from so long ago, a red and black shape that was tinged with a few stripes of dark purple for the ramp. At the bottom of the ramp was Master as he waited for the other creeplings to finish loading onto the Express.  
  
He soon glanced over in our direction and nodded once for me to approach. I gave Furston one last look as a farewell and then hurried over. From this point on, I was on my own. I could no longer rely on the support of someone that knew me inside out to make sure that I didn't screw up.  
  
"You are lucky, my creepling," Master said when I finally came to stop before him," I was considering leaving you behind if we had been forced to go off schedule."  
  
I didn't make any excuses. Now was not the time for that if I didn't want to annoy Master any further than I probably already had. I did make one mental note to give Furston and Bristles a piece of my mind when I got back.  
  
I kept my silence as I followed Master up the ramp, which closed behind us as soon as we were on board. He continued on into the cockpit with me still keeping behind him. Master took a seat in the pilot's seat while I took advantage of the newfound freedom that I had right now by choosing a seat behind him.  
  
Being allowed to move about on my own offered a bit more freedom than I had had in some time. But it also left me open to attack from the other creeplings that were assigned to this mission. It wasn't often that they had a chance to get near me without there being a set of bars between them and me.  
  
Even with this newfound openness however, there was only so much that the other creeplings could do. The only time they dared to approach me was when Master wasn't looking. They knew as well as I did that if even one of them hurt me, there would be one less creepling in the world.  
  
The most that they did was send me death glares and silent threats through body posture while they moved about the Doomsday Express. I responded to this how I usually did, I ignored them. I had other things to worry about than reacting to attempts at intimidation, like just what I was going to do once we reached our destination.  
  
So while the others were either hovering in one spot or hopping about the ship, I remained where I was. I saw no point in wasting my energy on something trivial. Not when I had to prepare myself for something so important. I had to conserve what I had in order to be in top shape.  
  
Every now and then, I would catch Master glancing at me out of the corner of my eye. I suppose he was trying to decide just what I was going to do on this trip. Well, he wasn't going to be getting much but me sitting there until it was time to act. I had no intention of screwing this up. I was going to be on my absolute best behavior until this was done and we had returned to the base.  
  
So I remained almost motionless during the duration of the trip. The only time that I moved was to watch the change of scenery that went on outside the cockpit window. It was mostly too dark for me to see anything except the dark shapes of mountains that we flew over and the twinkling pinpoints that I assumed were stars.  
  
It turned out to be the stars that would end up holding the majority of my attention during the flight. Being kept in the lab for so long, I really didn't have the chance to see those lights very often. To me, they held a strange kind of beauty that both helped to calm and entrance me to a degree that I found myself forgetting about everything else while I watched them.  
  
Eventually though, we arrived at Puma Dyne. I was made aware of that fact by the sudden jolting of the Doomsday Express as it touched down. Because I wasn't paying attention, I almost fell off of my seat and onto the floor. It was just pure chance that I managed to save myself from a spill by grabbing onto the seat arm.  
  
Not everyone was so lucky. There were a few other creeplings who hadn't been paying attention who were surprised by the landing and that fell off whatever perch they had found. These were teased by the ones who had remained in their seats or who had been airborne.  
  
I was almost tempted to join in since this would be the first time that someone else was being teased when I was there. I restrained myself however, knowing what would happen if I gave into temptation. If I tried to join in, the others would just turn on me and I would make a fool of myself in front of Master. Neither one being an experience I wanted to deal with, I just remained where I was until Master gave an order.  
  
"Enough my creeplings," Master rumbled as he keyed in the code to open the Express's ramp again," It is time that we set to work."  
  
To all of us, it was signal enough that it was time to set off again. Obediently, we all fell in line behind Master as he left the cockpit. I ended up being towards the front of the group, behind the large male who was the most dominant in this particular group of creeplings. Though I received a few glares and sneers, no one really did anything as I walked among them.  
  
Outwardly, I displayed no emotion. My face was completely blank as I followed Master down the ramp and onto what I assumed was the roof of one of Puma Dyne's many structures. Inwardly however, it was an entirely different story.  
  
Inside, I was surging with pride and hope. It felt good to be among my kin again, even if only for a short time. The part of my creepling instincts that remained unchanged felt safe among the others. With the other creeplings, there was a companionship that provided both company and protection.  
  
I knew better than to allow myself to enjoy this too much however. I knew that as soon as this was over and we were back at the base, this would all end. My brothers and sisters would go back to their lives of fighting and I would go back to mine of training in the laboratory.  
  
For the moment though, I could allow myself to relax for just the moment. I was in no danger while I was among the others. Though they may not accept me, they would not leave me to die if something were to happen. It would go against both Master's orders and their own instincts for that to happen.  
  
After a short time, we stopped when Master held up a paw for us to halt. The others and I waited, watching as Master peered from the darkness that had been hiding us out to two guards who were standing watch next to a door. My guess was that this was how Master planned to gain entrance into the building below us. But first he was going to have to deal with the guards, who would most certainly raise an alarm if they had the chance.  
  
"Go my creeplings," Master whispered to the large dominant male and two smaller ones," You know what to do."  
  
The trio nodded eagerly as they bounded forward. Their sudden appearance certainly surprised the guards who barely had time to raise their weapons in defense. My brothers dived at the pair, clawing and biting at the helmets that covered their heads. The two guards retaliated sooner than I would have imagined, actually fighting off my brothers to the point where they had to retreat.  
  
One of the smaller ones proved to be slower than the others as he was knocked out after being hit with the butt of one weapon. He slumped down while the other two returned to the rest of us. The guards, instead of taking the chance to raise the alarm, aimed their weapons at the creepling with one intention set in their minds.  
  
In that instance, as we all stared on, I think that my training must have taken over because everything was a total blank after that. When I finally gained control of myself again, the two guards that had been aiming their weapons at my unconscious brother were lying unconscious on the ground and three of the other creeplings were carrying said sibling back to the Doomsday Express. I just stood there, totally stupefied. Had I just done that or had someone else?  
  
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I never heard Master come up behind me. Hearing him speak so suddenly, I nearly jumped out of my skin in surprise. Thankfully, the reflexive response that appeared on my face went unnoticed by Master. It would have been so embarrassing for me to come this far and the let him see me in a moment of weakness.  
  
"Perhaps I have underestimated you after all, my creepling," he had said.  
  
I ducked my head at that comment. It wasn't often that Master admitted something like that to me. Usually, he kept any real thoughts on my progress, with the exception of what he felt I needed to improve upon, to himself, and almost never did he give me any praise on my accomplishments.  
  
To give out needless praise, as I had heard Master mention once to Fishbreath when they thought that I was asleep, would only make me too prideful of myself. That was not something that he needed in a creature that was being trained to obey orders. So he kept things to the point or not at all when there was no need for something to be said. His next words to me proved as much as I continued to bask a little in the glow of honor.  
  
"But you did not come here to fight. You are here to prove yourself in other ways," Master continued, pointing towards the door with his cane.  
  
Knowing what he wanted and that now was not the time to be thinking of what I might be feeling, I just nodded in response. I headed over towards the door with a plan already in mind of what I wanted to do. The combination lock on the side was similar to the kind that they used on my cage back at the lab. That gave me a little bit of an advantage here, since these locks usually had the same number of possibilities and that narrowed it down considerably in my mind.  
  
Sure there were still dozens of combinations that could be used on that lock. That alone meant it should have taken several hours for someone to crack. But after having seen the motion of the guard's hand when his back was turned to me, I had a general idea of what I should type in.  
  
So ignoring the rest of the world, I set to work. After a moment or so of tampering, I had the lock picked and opened. It slowly swung open, the alarm never going off. I smiled to myself as I moved aside to let Master and the other creeplings enter. So far, so good.  
  
Once everyone had gone by, I followed after them. After I was through, one of the other creeplings shut the door behind us. It wasn't enough to lock the door again, but it disguise things in case anyone looked that way and keep them from being too suspicious.  
  
As we headed deeper into the Puma Dyne compound however, I found myself being the one who was suspicious. I had absolutely no clue as to where we were going. There were too many doors to keep track of and the hallways seemed to twist and turn every few steps. It made me feel as if I was in a maze that had neither end nor beginning. It seemed to go on forever.  
  
An end came eventually though when we stopped in front of a pale white door that looked almost exactly like the others we had passed. The only difference was the plate label bolted to the door. One quick look and I knew that it said: 'Computer Research and Formulation.'  
  
No need for me to guess just what that meant. I had been in a lab long enough to know what went on in one, whether it was for multipurpose tasks like Master's was or for singular activities like this one obviously was. The only real question that I wondered about was what kind research went on in that room. Knowing the meaning of what was on the door did not really tell much about that.  
  
The answer to my question would come soon enough as Master directed me to unlock this door as well. It was far easier than the first and I had it picked in less than a minute. As with the first, it slowly swung open to reveal the room within. This was entered in the same order as before, only this time the surroundings would prove to be quite different.  
  
The room wasn't really the kind of lab that I was expecting. The kind I was used to had all sorts of equipment that were used for testing things and gathering data. This place was nothing but a room lined with computers and consoles. More than I had ever seen in my life.  
  
It was the computers that Master directed the other creeplings towards. He said that they were to turn on the computers and to start downloading the information onto special disks that had been given to some of the others. Once that was done then everything was to be deleted and then we would be leaving.  
  
For once, it paid to have spent a good part of my life confined to a laboratory. Unlike some of the other creeplings who had never been around much technology and had only been taught to fight, I at least had a general idea of how things worked. So I didn't have any trouble when I headed over to a computer myself to start working.  
  
I hadn't been given a disk like the others, so I couldn't download anything. In fact, I hadn't even been told to do anything else except pick the locks and to keep up. So I could have just sat back and watched everyone else until their task was done and we could leave again.  
  
Yet for some reason, I just couldn't stay still right now. I'm so used to being kept active in a laboratory that it seems almost wrong to do otherwise. So I couldn't help myself from doing what I did next.  
  
Without bothering to wait for instructions, I plopped down in front of a computer. I felt about for a power switch and turned it on. In a flash, the screen came to life. Flashing on the surface were images of number and symbols that usually went with science work. Most of the images were formulas and codes whose meaning were beyond my understanding. The most that I could make out was that this was some sort of chemical compound that was either used in metal works or bomb construction.  
  
It was somewhat of a surprise that the computer that I had turned on had this kind of program running though. Normally, one had to go through a series of commands and files in order to reach a specific program. At least, that was what happened in the lab whenever Furston and the others were working. There were exceptions to that rule however, which I had also seen many times in the lab back home.  
  
It was a good chance that someone had been working on this particular program earlier and had forgotten to turn the computer off before leaving. That had happened at least half a dozen times in the lab when Furston and the others were working on something. The problem itself was solved when either the person who had left it on came back to turn it off or someone else decided to have a heart and do the other a favor.  
  
Whatever the reason why this one had been left on, I just knew that this was at least some of the information that Master was looking for. This was a good thing and would probably keep me from getting into trouble if Master was upset that I had gone near a computer. Though at the moment, it really didn't matter one way or another.  
  
Master was too busy directing the other creeplings to notice what I was up to. I guess with so many of his own around, he wasn't worried about me getting into trouble. So he didn't even know that I had gone up to a computer and was now contemplating the file before me.  
  
Well, Master might not have noticed my actions but someone else did. Chattering angrily at me, another creepling came from behind and broke my train of thought. He was growling two commands to me. The first was the demand that I move aside so that he could work and the second was that I remain where he could see me while he did so.  
  
The latter proved my earlier suspicion that Master had given orders at some point that the other creeplings were to keep me out of trouble. This one, an older male that had one bent ear, had obviously taken that order more seriously than the others. I mean, the second order was a lot more stressed than the first, giving me the impression that he meant business.  
  
To be honest though, I really didn't want to obey my brother's orders. Now that I had found this formula, I was really interested in what it was for. It wasn't often that I got to see something like this for myself without someone else glancing over my shoulder, telling me that I need to memorize it before time is up.  
  
But since I didn't want to make a scene, I did as I was told. I jumped off the seat, allowing my brother to take my place and begin downloading what I had found. I watched him in silence for a moment, slightly impressed that he was able to do his work so efficiently for one who probably spent most of his time squabbling with others about who got more food or not.  
  
All around me, the others were working almost as efficiently as the brother who had taken my place. They opened whatever files they found, downloaded them onto the disks, and then deleted everything that was on the computers. It was an operation whose purpose I didn't understand at the moment but one that went so smoothly that I knew that it would be done in a few moments' time.  
  
If that assumption was true or not, I would never know. Because fate, being the fickle thing that is, decided that our mission would not live up to the successful appearance that it had taken on by this point. For about halfway through the downloading and file deletion, a sound reached my ears that caught the attention of every creepling in the room.  
  
They were the sounds of someone approaching the room where we were situated. Whoever it was, they were not making an effort to hide themselves. That was definitely proven to me when I heard a voice yelling through the door.  
  
"This is the Enforcers, Dark Kat. Come out with your hands up, we have the room surrounded," the voice ordered.  
  
To me at least, 'Enforcers' had only one meaning that caused me to go into instant attack mode: target. I had been trained from almost the start to attack anyone dressed in a specific uniform and occupation on sight. If these truly were the kats whose images that I found fought so often in the VR chamber, then it meant that I might soon find myself fighting for real like I had when we arrived.  
  
Not too surprisingly, the other creeplings fell into the same mode that I had. No one left their seats, but many of them were already flexing their claws and chattering anxiously for the battle that they sensed coming. But no one did anything else yet. We had not heard anything from Master, who had taken to glaring at the door where the voice had come.  
  
"Take what has already been downloaded and destroy the rest, my creeplings. Our time here is finished," Master ordered.  
  
Reaction couldn't have come quicker. Everyone started working like crazy. Those that had been in mid-download just removed their disks and then took Master's order of 'destroy' to a limit that didn't surprise me. They literally tore the computers apart, causing sparks to start flying from the metal corpses. Those that had finished did about the same thing, even the male that had been watching me.  
  
As for me, I jut moved towards the door. I too itched for battle as my instincts and training started to take over. It was hard for me to control these urges even though I didn't want to. I really wanted the chance to take the opportunity to participate in a real battle instead of one of the holograms in the VR chamber.  
  
Master must have seen my movements, because he ordered," You will not be fighting, my creepling. You will carry the disks while that is done by the others."  
  
I stopped in my tracks and turned back to protest my Master's order. He really couldn't be serious about that. He surely couldn't mean that I couldn't fight. Even if it wasn't like me, now that I was here, why keep me from doing what I was trained to do? Wasn't that why he had allowed me to come on this mission in the first place?  
  
Whatever I might have said, it was lost forever as the door suddenly burst open and shots started being fired. Hot pain shot through my back as one of these blasts caught me in the back. Completely in shock, I stumbled forward as I shrieked in outraged pain. I landed unceremoniously as the pain spread from the shoulder where I had been initially hit and down through my back. For the briefest instance, I was reminded of the pain that I had felt during my last session with Fishbreath in command.  
  
That was simple compared to what I was feeling now. Then the pain had come in bursts that eventually subsided and left only the sensation of needles being thrust into my skin. That was something that I was more used to and could deal with once I had calmed myself down.  
  
Now though, I was in no mood or state to calm myself down. Right now, my preservation instinct was kicking in on full drive. Mixed in with the pounding of the urge to get away before I was injured further were the unmistakable sounds of battle erupting and I was right in the middle of it.  
  
Part of the fight was being fought by my own side, which I recognized from all the creepling screeching and Master's booming voice giving orders as the former leapt over me towards their targets. There were others sounds, voices that I didn't recognize. I knew only that they were the voices of kats who were our enemies, the Enforcers.  
  
My thoughts became broken after that as I felt a pair of paws clamp down on my arm and pull me to my feet. I screeched in pain a second time as whoever had me started to drag me behind them. I tried to struggle, but my own pain and the strength of the other kept me from pulling away.  
  
An angry chattering told me that it was the creepling that had taken to watching over me in the computer lab. He must have decided to take Master's order even further and get me out of trouble completely. So while the others remained to fight, he had dodged the battle, gotten me, and was now making a break for it.  
  
I will never know how we managed to make through unnoticed or relatively unscathed. I do know that we soon left the battle of our kin and the Enforcers far behind as we headed towards the roof. At least, that was where I think we were heading. It seemed the most logical to my distressed mind.  
  
By the time we reached an area that I could recognize, I had regained some of my senses. At least enough to know that the danger we had supposedly left behind wasn't gone yet. There was still something waiting for us as we got closer to the exit.  
  
My companion must have sensed it too because he suddenly stopped and growled. I just followed his lead since it was becoming harder for me to ignore the pain and concentrate on much else. The other creepling ignored my condition and instead started sniffing the air around us.  
  
Growling at me again, he got behind me and pushed me further down the corridor until I started to stumble onward alone. He chattered, ordering me to make it back to the Doomsday Express as fast as I could and to wait for Master there. I was confused that he wasn't coming with me, but I obeyed. I continued on while he remained behind to handle whatever was following us.  
  
A short time later, I managed to find my way back to our entrance. A cool breeze racing over my body was the signal that I had indeed made it out. Taking this as a good sign on some primal level, I started searching for the Doomsday Express. If I could get to that, then it would be safe for me to rest and wait someone to come and treat my wound.  
  
The wound in question had gotten worse from all the stumbling and moving around that I had done. I could now feel the pain shooting through all parts of my body, even those that hadn't sustained injury. This only furthered my body's desire to give into the release of unconsciousness that would surely reveal my pain.  
  
So I began my search. It was a great deal harder than I would have first suspected. For one thing, even though I had a general idea of where the Doomsday Express was, I didn't know its exact location. It also didn't help matters that it too dark for me to see straight and that I wasn't able to focus properly. So like before, I had to stumble around in order to find what I was looking for.  
  
And just like before, it was blind luck that led me to find what I sought. For eventually I found a plane-like craft not too far away from where I thought the Doomsday Express should be. It had an open ramp that led into a cargo hold just like the Express did, since Master hadn't bothered to shut it when everyone was let off.  
  
Once I found this, I started stumbling up it without hesitation. The incline was a great deal steeper than I remembered, but I could still manage it. As I drew nearer to the opening I knew was at the other end of th ramp, it suddenly occurred to me that this might not be the Doomsday Express. If it wasn't, then I would be in big trouble. Not only with whomever this plane belonged to but Master as well. Either one would probably skin me alive for being stupid enough to choose the wrong plane.  
  
As the pain in my back and shoulder intensified however, I found that I didn't care. I just wanted to be somewhere away from all this fighting and yelling. So I climbed through the opening and into what I assumed what a cargo hold. Once there, I lost all control over my body as my strength gave out. I collapsed in a heap gasping for breath and just gave into the darkness that I been fighting to keep out of my mind.  
  
A/N: I hope that the pace has picked up enough for everyone, because this is where things start to really get weird. Now that #3 is out of it, her fate is kind of uncertain for the moment. But don't worry, this isn't the end of the little creep. I have something planned for her but that's going to have to wait until next time. Until then, thank you for reading and I hope that everyone liked this. 


	8. Voices in the dark

Disclaimer: See previous chapters  
  
Chapter 7: Voices in the dark  
  
A/N: Here's where #3's fate is kinda decided and just where she ended up. I know it's short compared to the other chapters, but I'll make up for that in the next chapter. Until then, please enjoy what's ahead and I'll see everyone later.  
  
I don't know how long I was lost in the darkness nor did I really care. For within the darkness, there was a sweet escape from the pain that radiated throughout my entire body. It was a domain that I was more than willing to remain in forever if that feeling kept up. Unfortunately, either some other force or my own body decided that I couldn't remain in the dark forever.  
  
Despite every effort I was making to stay asleep, I eventually woke up. I didn't wake up completely since my body still hurt too much for that. But I was conscious enough that I was at least aware of the world around. Though that wasn't saying much since beyond a few drips from a pipe somewhere, there was nothing to be heard.  
  
This silence had a twofold effect on me. On the one paw, if there was nothing to be heard, then that meant that wherever I was, I was alone for the time being. Being alone meant that I was safe and for the large part, would remain in relatively in one piece.  
  
On the other paw however, the silence meant that I wasn't back in the lab as I might have hoped. In the lab, even late at night, it was never as quiet as this. There was always some kind of rumbling or grinding noise of a piece of machinery continuing its work through the hours. I was used to that and took that as a sign of where I should be.  
  
Now though, there was none of that. Just a dull silence that I was beginning to find less and less security in. I was beginning to realize that if I wasn't in the lab, then I had made the mistake of choosing the wrong cargo hold to collapse in. A thought that frightened me to my very core because it meant that my final thoughts before losing consciousness had come true.  
  
I was now in the paws of someone other than my Master. I had no way of knowing whether or not the ones who had me were friend or foe, nor did I know just what they might have in store for me. Either way, I had the distinct feeling that it wasn't going to be pleasant and it was something that I was going to end up regretting.  
  
A more rational part of my mind found that a bit outrageous. How could I possibly be in the paws of an enemy? I had been trained too long to fall into a situation that ridiculous. I was probably just in another part of the compound receiving medical attention since my injuries were a lot more severe than anything I might have gotten in the lab.  
  
At the same time, I knew that theory was also pretty stupid. If I had been hurt, Furston would have made sure that I was in her care in an instant and I would hear her fussing over me like she always did. And for a brief second, I thought that I did hear voices that could have been Furston and the others.  
  
That idea soon flew out the window when I realized that the voices, though faint, were too deep to be female. They had to be male. Only a tenor or alto could match the tones that I heard coming my way.  
  
At first, it was hard to make out what they were saying since they were so far away. But as they came closer, it became easier for me to pick out the conversation they were having. Most of it was concerning topics that didn't matter or make sense to me, such as what to replace on the Cyclotron and what new adjustments needed to be added to the Glovatrixes.  
  
These were words that I had never heard in my life and I was left wondering just what they meant. Now that my curiosity was peaked, it started to take the edge off of my wariness. Not completely but enough where I unconsciously shifted in the direction of the voices so that I could hear better.  
  
As I did so, the silence from before suddenly returned. For an instant, I might have been tempted to believe that my mind had been playing tricks on me and that the voices I had heard were nothing more than dream. But I knew that that wasn't possible. I had distinctly heard someone and I knew that those in question were very close to me.  
  
Close enough in fact that I started to catch two very unfamiliar scents. What reached my nose was kat, that much I could tell without having to open my eyes. And they were coming closer as soft footfall finally broke the silence for a second time before finally stopping just a short distance from wherever I was.  
  
"Something wrong?" asked a deep voice that reminded me of Bristles'.  
  
"I thought I saw the creepling moving. Guess it was just my imagination," a quieter voice answered.  
  
"Must've been. That thing hasn't moved an inch since we found it in the Turbokat," the deeper voice snorted.  
  
"No kidding. Whoever nailed it had a good shot," the quieter voice agreed," I just wonder how it got in the Turbokat in the first place. I don't remember seeing it anywhere during the fight."  
  
"Beats me. What I don't know is how I let you talk me into keeping that thing, Razor. We should've just given it to Puma Dyne or something," the deeper voice grumbled.  
  
"And let Feral find out so he can tell'em to take it apart? No way, buddy," the calmer voice replied.  
  
Feral must have been someone's name since the voices didn't want him to find out about me. Why he shouldn't know about me was beyond my understanding at the moment, though the possibility of him taking me apart gave me a good idea of what that reason might be. And if staying wherever I was meant avoiding that fate, then I was more than willing to agree with what the quiet voice was saying.  
  
"I still don't see what the big deal is. It's just a creepling, buddy. What's so special about it?" the deeper voice demanded.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, this thing doesn't exactly look like the other creeplings that we've met before. How many of those were green and black?" the second voice countered.  
  
This was the one that I finally identified with name of 'Razor'. It seemed logical enough to me, since even in my present state, I was only sensing two others besides myself. So that meant that the deep voice that I kept hearing was the one named 'T-bone'.  
  
Both were names that I wouldn't normally associate with kats. Usually, they chose what they considered normal names like Bradley, Theresa, and so on. At least that was what Furston had explained to me when I asked her about the subject. She had told me that kats chose names that were befitting to the culture and society that they were born into.  
  
From the first time that I heard that, part of me felt that that was just a major waste of time. Why bother with names when everyone looked so different from one another? Wasn't that enough to help identify someone? I mean, that was how we creeplings did things and we got along with life just fine through that system.  
  
There are some exceptions, I will admit. For myself, I have two. The first is that I myself have been given the label of '#3' by the scientists that worked with me. It was a number that told them which creepling I had been in their original experiment and made it easier for them to address me.  
  
Even if it was against my creepling ideals, I was willing to go along with this. After all, I've intentionally made an exception for myself when it comes to addressing the scientists. I call them by their last names when I address them as a way to let them know that I'm aware of who they are and that I make distinctions in who I talk with.  
  
Even so, lines have to be drawn somewhere. To me, T-bone and Razor seemed more like something that was associated with food or a weapon than a name. But that wasn't the real problem with what I felt when I heard these two names. The really odd thing was that hearing the names of 'T-bone' and 'Razor' caused something within me to stir. For some reason, I felt as if these names were supposed to be important. Why, I had no idea. I just had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I should know who these names were supposed to be attached to.  
  
In the end though, it didn't really matter. My brain had enough trouble comprehending the conversation I was hearing. It couldn't handle that and trying to figure out where I had heard a couple of names before. Doing so meant an overload and I didn't want that right now. So I ignored the nagging feeling and just concentrated on the voices.  
  
While I had been considering the meaning their names had to me, T-bone and Razor had moved with what they were talking about. They were no longer talking about what they whether or not it was a good idea to keep me. Now they had moved onto just what they were going to do with me while I was here.  
  
"There's something weird about this creepling and I wanna know what it is," Razor replied.  
  
"I can tell ya something about it now, Razor. That thing is dangerous, like all the other creeplings," T-bone snorted.  
  
"We don't know that for sure," Razor said," It might be a creepling, but it might not be like the others. It might be different in some way other than being green."  
  
I couldn't help but thinking that the Razor had no idea how close to the truth he was. My skin pigment most certainly wasn't the only thing that set me apart from the other creeplings. There were quite a few other things that helped out in that department. But those were things that Razor was going to have to discover for himself, if I bothered to let him.  
  
At the same time though, I couldn't help but think that this Razor person was extremely naïve to believe that I didn't have at least some of the common creepling traits. I mean, I was no pushover when given a proper chance to defend myself or to start a fight. I can be nasty enough where I will leave lasting marks on another or even kill someone if I have to. That was something he should have realized if he was such an expert on my species, even though I really didn't know how.  
  
His friend must have been thinking along the same lines that I was or at least somewhat was. No matter what argument Razor put forth, it wasn't going to be enough to convince T-bone to change his own opinion. His next words proved as much to me as I strained to listen while ignoring the pain that was starting to take hold of me again.  
  
"If we keep that thing, it's just gonna cause us trouble later on. Just wait and see," T-bone warned.  
  
Whatever reply Razor might have had for T-bone, I'll never know. After that, it was too hard for me to ignore the pain. So I gave into my body's demands and fell back into the wonderful world of oblivion. It was one of the most welcomed sensations that I had ever known in my life.  
  
A/N: It certainly took awhile, but I finally got the Swat Kats involved as promised. I'm sorry it took so long, I just wanted to make sure that I got other information out before introducing them. 


End file.
